Forgotten Dreams & Living Nightmares
by LadyTrish
Summary: "This time she had no choice and she had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump forming in her throat. This was a Ranger gathering she couldn't miss, since it was Trini's and Jason's wedding."
1. Magnolia Wars

**Hello all,**

**I must admit I am very new to the Power Rangers fanfiction archive, and this is my first story, so I hope you guys will like it. I have been a huge fan of the series for a very long time, but I admit I stopped watching after Amy Jo Johnson left. I love the characters dearly and I always wished that I could take up the courage and write a story. Now here it is, I hope you like it and feedback is greatly appreciated. Read & Enjoy :)**

**xoxo LT**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or the show, I'm just borrowing them.**

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><p><strong>Magnolia Walls<strong>

It was a beautiful spring day when Kimberly Hart rolled her car through the impressive gates of the Rose Garden in Saratoga Springs. Her Mercedes made its way slowly down the gravel; under the arch formed by the unending row of Spanish Oaks. The sun filtered in between the leaves, casting a dancing glow on her windshield. As she continued to marvel at the sight unfolding in front of her, she broke through the tree curtain and maneuvered the car into a curb, revealing a breath taking scenery. The colonial, red brick, two-story mansion stood peacefully, bathing in the sun's rays, its limestone stairway, leading up to the row of columns, flanked by perfectly manicured pink beautybushes. Across the stairs, beyond the gravel lay the meticulously trimmed lawn, on which white magnolia trees swayed delicately in the breeze. The car came to a stop in front of the stairway causing Kim to breath deeply, while turning the key and killing the engine. Slowly she turned her head to her left, looking at the beautiful mansion, and her heart constricting in her chest, so she hung her head and leaned against the steering wheal. The petite woman, woman played with her phone nervously, still trying to regain her composer and summon up the courage to pull herself out of the state she currently was in. It had been nine years since she and Tommy had spoken last and she had been running from him ever since, avoiding him at all cost. Now she was forced to see him once again and that scared her to no end. Kim knew that this time she couldn't back out of this commitment as she had done numerous times. In the past, when all the Rangers had reunited, she had found reasons to back out of the gatherings, fear being the main factor for her hesitation. It was the fear of his anger and rejection, the fear of him still holding a grudge against her and her past action.

This time she had no choice and she had to swallow hard to get rid of the lump forming in her throat. This was a Ranger gathering she couldn't miss, since it was Trini's and Jason's wedding. A smile adorned her features when she thought about her best friends, his siblings, not in blood, but in every possible other way. The couple had been dating for almost three years and six months ago, the former Red Ranger had finally proposed. The petite Asian had called her the next day to give her the wonderful news and to assign her the preparations for the wedding as the head planner and her maid of honor. Kim had sighted in relief, glad that Jason had finally summoned up the guts to ask Trini for her hand in marriage. She chucked thinking back on the day Jason had dragged Kim out of her office, three months after he and Trini had started dating, to buy an engagement ring. Since that afternoon, the ring had been safely tucked away in the bottom of his sock drawer, while the former leader of the Power Rangers had postponed the actual proposal claiming that the time was not right yet. About a month before Jason had popped the question, Kim had stormed into his office, threatening to propose herself to Trini on his behalf if he didn't make his move soon.

Although she loved both Jason and Trini to no end, she wanted nothing else then to head back to New York and bury herself in work. She knew that once she met Tommy again, her former love, accusations might start flying, mostly from his side. She feared his anger and rejection more then anything else, yet she understood that his rage was entitled.

"Hell, I probably would be mad as well if it would have been the other way around." She quietly said to herself. Taking another deep breath, Kim lifted her head from the steering wheal, her right hand slowly taking the key out of the ignition.

"This is it Kim; time to face the music." She mumbled, opening the door of her black Mercedes. Slamming the door with a bit more force then intended, she swiftly walked towards the rear of her car, with one click of a button opening the lid of the trunk, taking the gray laptop casing out. Trying to steady her shaking hands, Kim summoned up all the courage in her 5 foot 2 frame, not to turn around, jump in the car and head back to her office.

"One foot in front of the other Kim. You can do this; after all you are both adults and he wouldn't make a scene before the wedding, he's too much of a gentleman and you're a professional." She continued to mumble to herself, climbing the stairs leading to the main entrance. Ringing the doorbell once, swiftly re-arranging the baby blue shirt and smoothening the pencil skirt she wore. When the door opened, Kim had finished fixing her hair and with a brilliant smile greeted the man in front of her.

"James, it's so good to see you. How are you?" she said.

"Ah, miss Hart, so good to see you. I'm well thank you very much. Please do come in." The gray-haired man said a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, his thick British accent and the warmth in his voice causing Kim to smile even brighter. Stepping away from the entrance, he ushered Kim in, closing the door with one hand and taking her laptop with the other.

"Your friends have been asking about you for the last two hours. I believe they are eager to see you again." He trailed away his step falling in line with Kim's

"Yes, Jason and Trini can be a pain when you don't deliver when they want you to deliver." She chuckled, causing James to smile genuinely." James, has my team arrived with the necessary equipment?" she asked, retrieving her BlackBerry from her oversized bag.

"Yes, Miss Hart. Mr. Woods dropped by today with the final catering menu, along with the list of the last three bands from which you and your friends should select one." James briefed, walking past her, while she scrolled through her phonebook, preparing to open the delicately carved mahogany French doors.

Although her phone had her attention, she could still hear animated chatter and laughing, causing the planner to swallow the lump forming in her throat.

The door opened with little sound and James announced smiling.

"Mr. Scott, miss Kwan, miss Hart has arrived."

James quickly stepped away barley missing the yellow human ball flying past him.

"KIM!" Trini screamed, hugging her friend fiercely. Laughing she hugged Trini back with as much force as her yellow counterpart.

"Woha missy; you saw me just a few days ago, what's with the warm welcoming? Not that I'm complaining." Kim laughed, trying to peal herself out of Trini's embrace.

"I just missed you, ok?" Trini chuckled, releasing Kim from the fierce embrace, taking a step back and studying her friend's tense posture and features.

Leaning closer again, she tucked a strand of Kim's caramel colored hair behind her ear and murmured "He's not going to bite your head off you know. He's not here."

"Relax Trini, I won't make a scene and promise to behave. " Kim assured, her face relaxing slightly.

"Kimmy, come here." Jason boomed, his face smiling. Before she could replay, he swept her into a warm embrace, kissing the top of her head.

"It's so good to see you Jase." She said against his chest. "Now let me go, I have work to do." wiggling her way out of the hug.

With a chuckle he let her go, watching the way she transformed herself in the professional she was. Leaving her bag on the soft couch, Kim resumed her pre-hug activity. Walking through the den, she opened the sliding door, taking a step outside and scanning the surroundings.

"Talk to me Henry." She said, the handset practically glued to her ear.

A series of yes and no's followed, while she descended the stone steps, looking at the beautiful lawn, identical to the one in front of the mansion. A thick wall of trees, with magnolia's marking the perimeter, rimmed the vast open space. A breeze tussled Kim's hair delicately, the perfume hugging her frame like a blanked causing the former gymnast to inhale deeply.

"I thought I told you that the pavilion will be installed today, while the catering company will set up the tables tomorrow evening. Which part didn't you understand Henry? I told you at least a dozen times. Pavilion today, set up tomorrow, jeeze!" She bit sharply on the phone.

Absentmindedly she rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling her annoyance grow along side her anxiety.

"Damn it Henry, red roses and yellow tulips, not yellow roses and carnations. Do I have to do everything myself? Hand the phone to Amber, I see you've forgotten your brain at home today." She yelled, causing the occupants in the small gazebo to flinch and scout their surroundings trying to find the culprit of the yelling.

"Amber, if you guys screw this up, I'll fire both of your asses faster then you can say hello, got it?" she threatened sharply before ending the conversation.

Behind her somebody chuckled, causing Kim to swiftly turn.

"What's so funny mister? After all this is your wedding I'm handling here." She teased, giving him a mock glare.

"The wrath of Kim. Remind me never to get on your bad side." Jason laughed, his arm lazily coming around the former gymnast's shoulders.

"Well, your future wife will have my head if this doesn't turn out beyond perfect. Besides, I want this to be wonderful; you guys deserve it." She spoke, her left arm going around his waist, while her right curled around Trini's.

Laughing they walked down the stone path leading to the gazebo. They trio was greeted by squeals and laughter, while Aisha was first to flung herself in Kim's arms, hugging the petit woman tightly, closely followed by Rocky and Adam.

"Long time no see you guys. Thank you for the warm welcome." She said, extracting herself out of their arms smiling brightly, her arm resting on Rocky's head, while he tried to grab her phone and she pulled it away from him every time he was about to grab it.

"Well, Miss I-jet-around-the-world-and-am-to-busy-to-call-my-friends, now that we hugged you we can kick your ass for going MIA on us for about half a year. Where the hell have you been?" Aisha said, both of her hands resting on her hips, while the others only chuckled.

"You know Sha, here and there." She replied vaguely with a smirk, smacking the back of Rocky's head playfully.

"Ouch! And what was that for?" he grumbled, rubbing the sore spot.

"This is what happens, when you try to take my phone away, you overstuffed teddy bear." She laughed, rubbing the spot tenderly.

"Speaking of phones, who's head are you going to bite off soon, Kim? We heard you yelling from a mile away." Rocky joked.

"Argh, work. Don't remind me now. I'll give them three hours to fix this. Where's the rest of the gang?" she asked looking around.

"Tanya, Kat, Billy, Zack, Angela and…" are back at the hotel, Adam informed, not daring to say the former Green, White, Red and Black Ranger's name.

"Except for Tanya, who arrived with Adam, the others only got back this morning. They went back to the hotel and are meeting us later on." Jason supplied, casting Trini a look, and trying to gauge Kim's reaction.

She simply nodded, her features saddened and relieved.

"Everything seems to be in order here. If you would excuse me, I need to get to the hotel and shower. It's been a long day and I really want to get out of my office suite." She said, pointing at her attire.

"Do you know your way to the hotel?" Adam asked.

Rolling her eyes, Kim chuckled and said. "Who do you think booked you the rooms guys? I know that hotel better then my own home. Comes with the job. I'll see you guys later."

"Mkay and Kim, we have to pick up our dresses in about three hours." Trini added before the former Pink Ranger could make her way towards the house and her car.

"Sure thing Tri. I'll see you at the hotel." With that being said she urgently made her way towards the house, BlackBerry attached to her ear once more.

Seeing her friends again has brought joy to her heart alongside with sorrow. Although she was glad she hadn't seen Tommy yet, she desperately wanted to see Billy and Zack. Over the years she had kept in contact with Rocky and Aisha, although they lived further away, while Jason, Trini and Adam had become her second family, seeing them every day. She didn't expect to keep in contact with Tommy, mind her they had avoided each other like the plague, and she knew that Kat still held a grudge against her for hurting Tommy, hence not hearing from her in almost ten years, but Zack and Billy had been harder to keep in contact then the rest. Billy had moved his ass to Aquitar after she left for Florida, but returned a few years ago both resuming contact through frequent e-mails. Zack had e-mailed her a few times as well over the years, but his hectic schedule had made it impossible for them to meet up for more then a few hours. They had seen each other last time four years ago, and Kim missed him dearly, wanting nothing more then to engulf him in a bear hug. As she mused about her friends and the paths life took them on, she failed to notice that she had stopped in front of the hotel, and that a young man was gingerly tapping her window. Seeing that his tapping was ineffectual, the boy knocked bit a bit more force, causing the former Pink Ranger to snap her head towards him. Blushing, she unlocked her door, allowing the bellboy to open it for her.

"Welcome to the Four Seasons Miss Hart." He spoke, stepping sideways so she could slip out of the car. She smiled warmly towards him, greeting him, although she couldn't remember his name. Her smile brought a blush to the boy's face and she chuckled, moving towards the sliding doors of the hotel and an anxiously waiting man.

"Miss Hart?" the manager inquired, studying the woman walking towards him. Although he had been happily married for twenty-five years he couldn't stop himself from admiring Kim. He hoped that the young planner had not spotted his wandering eyes, and he moved towards her so that he could hide his previous actions.

"Mr. Keller, lovely to finally meet you." Kim spoke; extending her hand, hand that manager quickly grasped and shook.

"Miss Hart, my colleagues have told me so much about you." He began

"I hope only good things, Mr. Keller." She laughed, pulling away from him.

"Of course. Now, regarding your instructions, I can tell you that your room is ready and as you requested, it communicated with Miss Kwan's. Miss Campbell's communicates with Miss Houstan's and Miss Hillard's is adjoined to Miss Sloan's. The same goes for the gentleman's quarters. Mr. Scott's communicates with Mr. Oliver's, Mr. Taylor's with Mr. Cranston's and Mr. DeSanto's with Mr. Park's." he explained, studying her expression, and marveling at her delicate features.

She only nodded causing Mr. Keller to go on. "Now, our bell-boy, Steven, will escort you to your room. If you need anything feel free to contact me."

He reached for her hand once more and squeezed it lightly, earning him a smile from Kim. With one hand he motioned a young man to approach him, instructing him to park Kim's car and bring the key up to her room, while the bellboy retrieved Kim's luggage from the trunk. Handing her the keycard to her room, the manager walked away from a dazed Kim and the blushing bellboy.

The elevator ride was quiet, the bellboy studying Kim from the corner of his eye, while she busied herself with her phone. The teen opened her door, settling her suitcase next to the entrance, while Kim grabbed her pursue, furiously searched through it. She handed him a ten-dollar bill, bringing another blush to his freckled face and causing him to trip over his own feet while walking out of the room. She closed the door behind him and shook her head, smiling softly.

Dropping her phone on the desk, she looked around for the first time since she had entered her quarter. The impressive queen sized bed rested against the cream colored wall, underneath an imitation of leather tiles, two nightstands flanking the bed. She brushed her fingers against the fabric of the fainting couch, resting at the foot of the bed, looking at the elegant drawer and the mirror above it. Next to the drawer, Kim opened the doors of the dark brown, almost black armoire, to reveal a flat screen television and underneath it a DVD player. Closing the doors, she turned to look at the soft curtains, filtering the sunlight through them, while allowing her to see the outside through the large window. Smiling she moved towards the living area, where a dark green couch, whit cream colored cushions lay inviting. In front of the furniture piece, lay a coffee table with lilac bouquet resting on top, and she bend down to inhale the perfume. The former Pink Ranger continued her exploration, by turning away from the flowers and spotting the two armchairs, both the same shade of dark green, resting close to the table. A small liquor cabinet lay next to the wall connecting her sleeping quarter to the living area, a set of paintings resting above. Finally she turned to look at the spectacular view enfolding in front of her eyes. The suite was located on the 6th floor, giving her a perfect view of the hotel perimeter, her window orientated towards the large park, the artificial lake and a downscaled replica of Apollo's temple. Saratoga Springs was home to two Four Seasons hotels and usually her clients, upon her sincere recommendation, choose the more remotely located accommodation instead of the central one. The vas grounds, and the forest around shielded the hotel from prying eyes, making it a romantic getaway, and the ideal place for a wedding. However, Jason and Trini decided to hold their reception in Rose Garden, instead of the Four Seasons, but to appease all parties, the couple had decided to quarter friends and family at the hotel, technically booking half of it. Reluctantly she turned away from the sight, determined to get work done. She moved away from the view, finding the desk, in close proximity to the window and Trini's room. Although it was shaded in the same dark wood as the rest of the furniture, this piece held a futurist appearance, looking as the top part continued over the edge of the table, curbing at the bottom into its leg. Retrieving her laptop out of its protective casing, she moved to sit behind the desk, powering her notebook up. While she waited for the device to warm up, she slid out of her chair and unzipped her suitcase, swiftly arranging her garments in drawers and hangers. Pulling a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and underwear alongside her toiletries, Kim disposed of her stilettos, wiggling her toes happily and paddling her way towards the bathroom. Once inside a chuckled escaped her lips when she saw the lavish design of the room. A spotlight, scented candles and perfumed sea salt rested on a marble slab, located in an alcove, softly illuminated a large soak tub, the centerpiece of the room. Next to it, Kim opened a door, the light softly turning on, to reveal a shower room, complete with the entire necessary and sophisticated shower pampering lotions. She closed the door and looked at the sink with its large mirror, at the toilet and bidet and whistled appraisingly. Quickly she slipped out of her close and stepped into the shower enjoying the feel of the water, caressing her tiered muscles.

Over the years she had stayed in numerous hotels, her job exposing her to luxurious and miserable conditions alike, yet she had never stayed in such a lavish suite. Six months ago, when she had called the hotel and requested the large amount of rooms, the manager had been thrilled and in his frenzy had offered free lodging in the master sweets for Kim, the bride and groom as well as the best man. Grateful, Jason had insisted that Kim should book the same conditions for the rest of their friends, money not being an issue. Slipping out of the shower and into the soft bathrobe, she sighted in contentment.

Dressing quickly in jeans and a blue t-shirt she made her way to her computer, yet to her surprise she couldn't connect to the Internet. Upon failed attempts she decided to call the reception and ask immediately for a quick fix, but found herself listening to a busy line. Frustrated she slammed the receiver shut and walked towards the door, grabbing her phone of the table and slamming the door behind her.

Angrily she walked towards the elevator, reading through the list of received e-mails not paying attention to her surroundings. Upon colliding with another body, Kim yelped, her phone flying out of her hand.

"Watch where you're going." She said, eyes lifting from the ground so she could give the person a piece of her mind. The words died in her throat when she met the figure in front of her. Standing tall, in a black undershirt and a pair of black trousers, hair spiked was none other then Tommy Oliver. She searched his features swallowing hard, avoiding his eyes.

"Kimberly." He softly spoke, causing her to meet his eyes for the first time since the Muranthias incident.

"Tommy…" she gasped, shocked by guarded and stern face. He had been a gorgeous boy back in high school, now he was a grown man, breathtakingly beautiful, and sexy, yet his eyes, the ones she used to get lost in, those pools of chocolate warmth were now, cold and distant. The face that she once used to be able to read like an open book, was now blank and a hint bitter. Pain wrenched her heart and she quickly cast her gaze down, looking at her shoes. In one fluid motion she bent down, retrieving the phone from the red carpet.

With phone in hand she straightened up, a sad smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"I have to go. I will see you later Tommy." She said firmly, stepping away from him and walking towards the elevator.

Once the elevator doors closed, Kim leaned against the steel walls of the cabin, taking deep breaths. She never would have thought that seeing him again could hurt so much. His face, the one of stranger, had pierced her heart, weakened her knees and nearly brought tears to her eyes. She hadn't expected their meeting to be pleasant or easy for that matter, however, she hadn't expected it to be so painful and awkward. They went from lovers to strangers in a decade and she had no clue if the rift between them could ever be mended. Taking a deep breath she walked out of the elevator and determined to handle any situation that the next few days would throw at her. For so long her life had been void and numb, work being the only thing keeping her sane. She would be damned if she would let Tommy Oliver destroy the frail stability she had managed to build over the years.

On the 6th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, one Tommy Olive still stood in the same place he had bumped into Kimberly. He was shocked, confused but above all very, very angry. Here he was, coming back from his work-out, more relaxed then he had been three hours ago and happy that he had managed to block Kimberly from his thought for a while, when he had slammed into her, or more precisely she had collided with him. Seeing her was amazing and painful at the same time. Time had been kind on his former girlfriend, her features more lovely then ever before, but he had seen a shadow in her doe eyes when their eyes had finally met. She was beautiful and his heart ached for her. Ten years had passed and she was still in his system, still a reminder of what he had and what he had lost. Over the years he tried to move on, forget her and hate her, but he couldn't. Kim was still deeply rooted in his heart and he had the sickening feeling that he won't ever be able to be happy again. For that he resented her. He couldn't forgive her for being able to rob him his chance of happiness, his peace and in some way his sanity. Angrily he slammed the door to his room shut, swiftly undressing and heading towards the shower. The hot water was a welcome relief, unwinding his tight muscles. He rested his forehead against the cool tieless, his heart sore and wounded. Tommy had no idea how long he'd been in the shower, but two things were clear as daylight to him, he needed to speak to Kim and he was still angry.

"Kim, I'm back!" Trini yelled, sliding the door connecting their two rooms through the living space.

In the middle of the queen size bed, lay Kim, her legs crossed Indian style, laptop in her lap, while cradling the phone with her shoulder. Upon seeing Trini, she raised a finger, indicating that she would be done in a minute.

"Alright…Yes, that is correct…It's a Vietnamese ceremony, so I want the necessary material…Well, duh, Henry! I don't know where you can get Jasmine incense, but I need it and I needed it pronto….You live in New York city, you moron, there is something called China town. Talk to them, or go through the list of suppliers I have in my top drawer….Oh for heaven's sake you are such a crybaby sometimes. Deal with it, I don't pay you for complaining…THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING AND I SHALL YELL AT YOU UNTIL YOU GET IT DONE PROPERLY, HENRY!" she yelled hanging up, throwing the phone on the bed.

"Wow, for such a small person you have some lung." Trini chuckled.

"Don't piss me off Trini, or you may end up with weeds instead of flowers." Kim laughed, patting the bed next to her.

A few seconds later, Trini slumped down, looking at her friend with concern.

"Spill. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong." Kim replied, tipping.

"Kim." The beautiful Asian warned.

Sighting, Kim's gazed left her screen, turning to Trini.

"I bumped into Tommy."

"And you are still alive?" she joked.

"Very funny Trini." Kim replied sarcastically

"So, how was it? Did you guys talk?"

"Not exactly. I slammed into him, or he slammed into me, I don't know. He said my name, I said his and then I panicked." Kim informed her friend, while studying her fingers.

Trini's eyebrows rose, her voice laced with concern. "What did you do Kim?"

"Nothing. I just…I just told him that I have to go and then ran towards the elevator. I couldn't bear to see him Tri. He's so cold, so distant and it hurts."

"Well, what did you expect Kim; fireworks, flowers and teddy bears? Your broke the man' heart." The former yellow Ranger trailed away.

"Not helping Trini." Kim groaned.

"I don't know what I expected, but I can tell you that he has changed, and I don't mean physically. His eyes are so…angry; there is so much hurt in them. We looked at each other for about a minute and there was not a single positive emotion I could detect. It hurt to look at him. Honestly, if you weren't my best friend, I would have been out of this hotel 25 seconds later and on my way to New York." Kim explained, now fiddling with her phone.

"Talk to him Kim. He needs to know, it's been ten years." She tried, but Kim's horror stricken face stopped any further attempt.

"He hates me now, wait until I tell him why I broke up with him. Trust me Tri, if I tell him, he'd be even angrier the he is now and would despise me. I know that by telling him the truth, I would cease to exist for him. I'm not sure if I could handle even more hate from him." Kim explained, furiously rubbing her eyes, while not daring to look her best friend in the eyes.

"Ok, no more sad talking. You are getting married in three days Miss Kwan and I have still so much work to do. So get your skinny ass in the shower, because we leave for the shop in twenty minutes." The petit planner instructed, chuckling when she saw Trini's stoic salute.


	2. Dancing on a razor's edge

**Hello everybody,**

**first of all I want to thank you for the wonderful reviews. They basically made my day and I'm so glad you guys like the story so far. i want to thank everybody that added the story to their alerts and favourites...You guys are amazing :)**

**Here is the second chapter of the story. I hope you enjoy it. As previously stated, the Power Rangers do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a while :)**

**Read and Enjoy.**

**xoxo**

**LT**

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><p><strong>Dancing on a razor's edge<strong>

Twenty-five minutes later, in the common living area, both girls were laughing hysterically. While in the shower, Kim had taken care of business as usually, calling the catering company, deciding on the band, even fixing the whole flower disaster. By the time she had remembered that she still needed to check on the Jasmine incense that Henry could not get a hold off, Trini had walked out of the shower and was getting dressed, swearing like a drunken sailor when she couldn't find her sneakers. In a hurry, the petite former gymnast called her assistant, Amber, and tried to get a hold on the situation, while looking for her car key and organizer. In the background she could hear shouting and swearing in both English and Mandarin and Kim giggled amused. She could only shake her head when thinking about the Amber-Henry duo. They were different as the sun and the moon, but in spite of that, they made an excellent team. Amber, an African American woman in her mid twenties, had been a waitress at a local diner before she joint Kim's team. The tall slender woman, with a razor sharp tongue had always been nice to Kim during her early morning coffee runs. The two women had bonded and enjoyed each other's company, although they didn't managed to spend time outside of the diner. One evening, Kim had walked into cozy restaurant, craving a large hamburger, fries and a shake, and was stunned not to see the entertaining Amber at work. Upon enquiry, Kim had found out that Amber had resigned from her job, not being able to handle the overwhelming amounts of shifts. The same evening, Kim had shown up at Amber's apartment, to check on the woman, and was surprised to see Amber holding a crying six year old in her arms. The two women had talked extensively that evening and Kim had found out that Sheri, Amber's sister had become pregnant and after giving birth to Matt, she had left him on Amber's doorstep and disappeared. The boy had been only 2 months old, and Amber had cared for him since then. Impressed by the heart-breaking story, Kim had offered Amber a position on her team, position, which the former waitress happily accepted. Three years later, Kim had never been happier with her choice, Amber being a strong ally in her constant battle with suppliers and clients.

The other half of the dynamic duo, Henry, had been the reason behind most of Kim's frustrations over the years. Although extremely intelligent, Henry had the tendency to avoid getting work done and complain about everything that posed as a challenge. The young man had graduated Magna cum Laude from a University in Texas, majoring in finance, only to disobey his parent's wishes of becoming an auditor by moving to the big city. He had showed up at the company where Kim was working, seeking an internship. Two years later, he was a part of Kim's team, a wizard when it came to numbers, a disaster when out in the field. Yet Kim was patient with him, knowing that the shy and lonely Henry held so much potential, potential that only needed to be cultivated.

Both Henry and Amber were essential in her line of work, and although at times, it made her life more complicated then it needed to be, Kim trusted the two, delegating a large amount of work to them.

Upon asking for a status update from Amber, the woman laughed promising to send to her BlackBerry something that would explain it better than words. A few minutes later, Kim opened the e-mail attachment, causing her to burst into a fit of laughter. The picture sent by Amber, showed a tiny Asian woman, beating Henry with a hand held fan, at the same time, throwing small objects towards his direction. Amber had managed to immortalize a screaming and wincing Henry, while the petit Asian' expression was that of pure fury.

After Kim's initial outburst, Trini had joined her, only to succumb to the same faith as Kim had minutes ago.

"Ho…Honestly, Kim, this looks like you beating up Jason or Tommy. The woman is tiny." Trini managed to say between fits of giggling.

"I know. Look at his face; this is priceless. I think I'll ask Amber to blow it up and frame it." Kim chocked.

"You're an evil woman Kimberly Hart." Trini replied, clutching her stomach.

A knock at Kim's door, sobered both women and up, and Kim made her way towards the door. Wordlessly, Aisha made her way past Kim towards the common room, grabbing Trini by the hand in one fluent motion and ushering her towards the door.

"Bride to be, move your butt over to Kim's car. We are going to be late." She said smiling.

"Yes m'am!" Trini chuckled, grabbing Kim by the arm in the processes.

The planner squealed when Trini accidently dug her nails into her flesh, but quickly bounced back, grabbing her car keys and bag.

"I don't care if you are the bride Trini, if you leave a scar I will strangle you." Kim said, smacking Trini's ass playfully.

"You're just pissed it's from me and not from a smoking, sexy hunk." Trini bit back, causing all three women to laugh out loud once more.

Steve, the bellboy, greeted Kim and her party in the lobby, and upon inquiry, indicated the whereabouts of Kim's car. Outside of the hotel, Tanya, Kat and Angela were chatting happily. Kim hugged all three of them, joking and laughing all the way to her car.

With all six girls neatly seat belted in her car, Kim drove out of the parking lot of the hotel towards the dress shop.

The hours spent at the shop went by quickly, a blur of squealing, giggling and laughter. Trini's dress was a dream of lace and intricate beading, while the other girls tried their dresses, making last minute adjustments and playing dress up. The shop owner, a close friend of Kim's, had indulged the girls, letting them try on different gowns. Tanya had been at one point determined to buy one of dresses she had tried on.

"I don't care that Adam hasn't proposed yet, I want this dress." Tanya stomped her foot, while admiring the dress and herself in the mirror.

"Miss Sloan, this is a Pinina design, and if you want, when the time comes, I could personally speak to the designer and ask her if she could manufacture another one for you." Margaret promised, her face beaming with joy. She had been part of the wedding industry for thirty years and still enjoyed it to the fullest, her heart melting every time a girl found her dream gown.

"You would?" Tanya asked her eyes glowing with happiness. Upon the shop owner's confirmation, Tanya jumped from her pedestal and hugged the older woman, causing everybody to burst into laughter.

Four hours later, exhausted and in good humor the six women returned to the hotel. Jason had booked a table for the entire gang at the restaurant where he had proposed to Trini. Business had brought him often to Saratoga Springs and he now considered it his second home, knowing every shop, restaurant and bar in the area.

The meeting in the hotel lobby had been one filled with joy and mixed with tension for Kim. She had jumped in Billy's arms when they had met, hugging him fiercely to her, while Zack had complained that he hadn't received the same treatment. Swiftly, Kim released Billy and engulfed Zack into a bear hug, which he happily accepted. Twenty minutes later, they were all squeezed in two cars, with Kim driving the girls to the restaurant and Adam the boys.

The hours past, filled with laughter, jokes and funny stories. The food and the beverages had been exquisite the music perfectly fitted for the gathering.

"So what are you guys up to nowadays? I know we sort of kept in touch, but last time I spoke to you guys, you were still all in collage, so spill. Tanya, my lady you go first." Zack demanded, taking a swing from his beer, his fingers laced with Angela's.

"Well, I'm currently living in New York, with this goof-ball" she said pointing at Adam who smiled brightly. "And I just finished my residency at NY Memorial in pediatrics. I want to focus on this particular area; it's fun, but exhausting. Working with grown ups is hard, since they can be such babies, but try working with kids, it's such a pain sometimes." She explained causing all to laugh at her expression.

"What about you Adam? You finished med school as well, were are you at?" Angela asked, leaning closer so she could hear him better.

"Yeah frog-boy, do tell." Aisha added, flashing him a wide grin.

" Well, Aisha, you and Rocky should know that, the frog-boy finished med school and my residency ended about six months ago. I'm a proud full time cardiologist. It's pretty cool, but I don't get too much sleep and have zero social life." He laughed.

"So nothing much has changed." Rocky surprised, chocking when Aisha swatted the back of his head while he was taking a swing from his beer bottle.

"You're so not getting any tonight for this." He replied in a strangled voice, coughing.

"Ha! The day you put this threat into action has not come yet, my monkey boy." Aisha returned, causing the girls to giggle and the boys to shake their heads.

"Billy, your turn." Jason called out, trying to shift the attention from his two love crazed friends.

The former Blue Ranger blushed slightly when all eyes turned on him. Although ten years had passed since he had been a teenager, he still couldn't handle attention very well.

"As you all know, I moved to Aquitar a few years back, but I returned soon after. Life on another planet was interesting, the technology and the progress fascinating, but I missed my home. When I came back, I tried to see what degree I can pursue so I enrolled into MIT. I've graduated with a degree in computer engineering and my interested shifted towards bioengineering, a field I pursued for my PhD.

Then I worked for a while for a big pharmaceutical company, but I resigned about two years later. With the knowledge gained from Aquitar and MIT, I decided to set up my own company and lab. "Blue Lane" focuses on researching and developing medication to combat different diseases. We are now trying to develop a drug that might prevent the development of breast cancer. I'm actively working in lab, more then actually running the company, but thank God I have a capable team. By the way I owe you one Jason, for the contacts. If it would have been up to me to find capable people, I would have probably gone bankrupt two weeks after going into business." He chuckled, causing the others to vehemently deny his claim.

"Come on Billy. You're like the smartest person on the face of the planet. I'm sure your would have done just fine without Jason's help." Trini interfered and Jason to give her a surprised look.

"Thanks Trini for taking my moment to shine away." He said, mocking hurt.

"Oh shut up Jason Lee Scott. You don't need more ego-boosting, I think you are just doing fine." She said kissing his cheek.

"Mister PhD in Paleontology, how did you end up there? I mean from piloting giant Zords to racing cars it's not unimaginable, but a PhD? In Paleontology? What meteor hit your head? Aisha asked, causing Tommy to groan and the others to burst into yet another fit of laughter.

"Racing was fun and I still like it, but it wasn't something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I considered opening up a dojo, but not enough cash for that." He explained his gaze lingering on his friends' faces, avoiding Kimberly's like the plague. He was still mad at her for bolting earlier.

"You could have asked me you moron. I would have scraped the cash and given it to you." Rocky added irritated, punching Tommy in the shoulder.

"Thanks Rocky, but I think investing in my education was better. Somehow I ended up at MIT and after a couple of courses I majored in the field. At that time Anton Mercer began mentoring me, even went so far in taking me on a major dig with him so I can work on my PhD. I think I told you guys about him and the whole island business." He trailed away.

"What island business?" Kimberly asked shyly from her corner, the others turning towards her.

"Technicolor here managed to get himself blown up, along with the island and stepped into the Power Ranger suite once more. Dude you just had to take my color. Weren't three enough for you?" Zack whined, pointing at the former leader of the Power Rangers, causing Kimberly to pale significantly.

"You got blown up?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper.

Tommy nodded, looking at her properly for the first time throughout the evening. He had sneaked glances at her, when she wasn't paying attention to him, drinking her in. Sitting next to Jason and furthest away from him, near the balcony of the terrace, the light engulfing her petit form perfectly. She wore an emerald sweater that hugged every curve and a pair of faded and expensive looking jeans along with a pair of Converse. Her hair was tide up in a messy bun and she wore minimal make up. On closer inspection he detected dark circles under her eyes, her beautiful doe orbs sad and empty now laced with concern. Time had been kind to her, but she did have and still led a hard live. It hurt him to see her like that and although she was the main reason he couldn't move on with his life, he wanted her to be happy, he wanted to see her old spunk. Kimberly, with all her flaws and valley girl attitude, had always been the heart of the group, joking and lightening up the atmosphere even in the darkest of circumstances, and her being a mere shell of her former self pained him more then he would ever admit.

"And you were a Ranger? Again?" she went one, trying desperately to compose herself. Fear and concern gripped her heart and she had to fight the urge to throw something at him. _"Stupid man and his need to be the hero"_ she thought slightly shacking her head.

"Yeah, and he had to steal my color too." Zach pointed at himself. "And dude, just so you know, the color looks way better on me." He trailed away causing everybody to chuckle, the created tension to disperse.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You told me already, but I'm done with Rangering and now happily retired. The gems are no longer active, Hayley is taking care of Ranger business and I have moved on from being a science teacher at a local high school. I've gone back to MIT where I teach full time a few courses, I started a couple of digs so I'm mostly on the road and once in a while I get invited as a guest speaker to a conference. Life's pretty sweet." He grinned like a Cheshire cat, his gaze still focused on Kim's concerned features. When his eyes continued to linger, Kim quickly turned away not able to handle his intense scrutiny.

"So tell me Kat, how's the school going?" Tommy asked his eyes still focused on Kim. When the Australian beauty began to speak, he finally turned away from his old flame.

"Oh, it's wonderful. The girls are magnificent and I enjoy ballet even more. Living in Boston is a dream and Billy and I have moved in together." She said smiling brightly, lacing her fingers with Billy's.

"Wait, you guys are dating?" Kim asked her mouth opened in surprise. "Billy, you schmuck, you didn't say anything about you guys dating in your e-mails. I am so going to kick you ass for this, but I'm really glad for you." She said, genuinely happy for the couple, a sincere smile gracing her features.

"Thank you Kim. We didn't say anything, because this is new to us as well. On one of my business trips to London, Kat and I just connected and after she moved back to the States, it just happened." Billy answered, rubbing Kat's knuckles gently.

What about you, original Red? Still walking you way up into the corporate world?" Rocky laughed, eying his friend.

"Yeah, everything is going great. I love my job, and being a consultant auditor pays pretty well. Who would have thought that I'd end up working in the business sector and to top it all up with numbers? Just completed a big project and finally I can enjoy the fruits of my labor." He laughed, hugging Trini closer to him.

"You should see him when he comes home sometimes. I have to go all psychologist on him, even when I'm not in the office anymore." Trini rolled her eyes causing the group to erupt in laughter once more.

"So, I presume you finally opened up your own practice Tri?" Angela pressed.

Trini nodded, taking a sip of her ice tea.

"Ape-boy, still working at that restaurant in Baltimore?" Kim inquired.

"Nope. Not any more. Since, Aisha finally managed to split with that nightmare of a law firm she was working for and found a job in San Francisco, I moved with her. She now finally works with a firm that can appreciate her talent." He explained hugging Aisha closer, while she rested her cheek on his shoulder. "And I might actually have enough money in a few months to open up my own place. I have the perfect location, bought the place and the renovation is on its way. I think it's going to be pretty cool." He added, beaming with pride.

"So what about a name? Have you considered that?" Kat asked, smiling at her former teammate.

"Yeah. I think I'll go with Santos. It's plain and not imaginative but it's easy to remember and I think I'll work."

"I like it. Count me in at the opening, Rocky my man." Jason added high fiving his friend.

"So miss planner, how's the event world working for you?" Zack led on, leaning towards the table, studying Kim's features.

The table went silent, pairs of eyes studying her every move, causing her to shift uncomfortably. She had no problem to be in front of hundreds of people, stay in the spotlight, but when it come to her friends, she could never master a perfect detached mask, most of the time letting emotions slip, making her vulnerable.

"You know, a job here a job there. It's ok, but demanding, although I can't complain, I get to travel quit a bit. Don't really have a home anymore, since I divide my time between Hong Kong, Berlin, Moscow, Dubai and recently Rome. I really like it, the work is challenging and demanding, the pay is out of this world and it keeps my mind occupied." She shrugged, her tone even and her eyes miles away, something that did not go unnoticed by Tommy

"Fly-boy you have been asking about us all the time, now it's your turn. So spill, what have you been up to?" she inquired interested, putting her phone back on the table, directing her full attention to the African America man in front of her.

When the group shifted they attention away from her, looking at Zack now, she sighted in relief, although she could still feel a pair of eyes burning holes into her head. She didn't need to look up, to see who was gazing intensely at her. Over the years their bond had never broken and she could still know from a pool of a hundred people looking at her, which pair of eyes belonged to him.

"Ah, well, I have been up to a lot. See after the peace conference, I came back to the States and tried Juilliard where I actually got in. I can't believe it even now that they took me. Graduated four years later, barely if I might add and went into the music business, where I currently work as a producer. In my senior year at Juilliard I bumped into Angela in the hallway and ask her out. Found out that she was focusing on the violin and after we both graduated she went on performing for the New York Philharmonic in the Orchestra. My little lady here is touring very often and I'm damn proud of her." He pointed at Angela grinning, lacing his fingers with hers.

"We don't get to see each other as often as we would like, with me on the road a lot and him busy in the studio, but we manage. Our lives changed a lot in the last couple of months." Angela supplied.

"Oh. Do tell." Trini prompted, more interested then ever. She was glad that her two friends were happy, she was even happier knowing that Zack had managed to find a woman that knew about Zack's past and that she was able to keep their secret. It was wonderful not to be able to hide something so important as the Rangers and she enjoyed Angela's friendship to the fullest.

"You see, Angela and I got hitched a couple of months ago." Zack said sheepishly anticipating the outrage that their revealed secret would cause.

They were all too stunned to answer immediately and after a few minutes of silence, Kim finally found her voice. "YOU DID WHAT?" she yelled out causing a few people in their vicinity to turn and glare at the large group.

"And you didn't say a word?" Trini added.

"Asshole, you didn't invite us? Your family? Your team?" Aisha shot daggers towards his direction.

"Dude, I'm happy for you guys, but you're so dead right now." Jason laughed, causing the other men to node vigorously.

"Hold on. Before you castrate me, let me talk. This might be my last words but let me explain. It's actually quite an interesting story." Zack began, while holding his arms in front of him, eying Angela cautiously. She in return smiled, her right hand resting on his thigh.

With a big and dramatic intake of air Zack began his tale.

_Flashback_

"We're in Paris, the city of love. What do you want to do?" Zack asked his girlfriend.

"Let's go see the sights, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, I don't know. We might as well get married while we're here." She laughed pulling him towards the Arc de Triomphe.

Stopping dead in his track, Zack pulled Angela towards him.

"Are you serious?" he asked, not a hint of joke on his face or his voice.

Worried Angela looked away.

"Are you serious?" he asked again, taking her chin in his hand and turning her head so she could meet his eyes.

"I was kidding Zack. I'm sorry, it was stupid of me to say something like that." She apologized trying to shake herself free from his grip.

"Angela, you know I love you and you know that I want to marry you at one point." Zack trailed away sternly.

She sighted, looking him in the eyes. "I know, and I was only joking Zack. Plus you haven't even proposed yet." She chuckled, doubt still evident in her features.

He pulled her towards him, his arms circling her waist, pressing her closer to him, while his lips rested on the side of her head. Tugging a strain of her hair behind her ear he whispered: "Marry me!"

She closed her eyes in shock, and then pulled away from him. "Now who's being silly here?" she joked, her voice breaking, butterflies in her stomach. When she didn't replay to her joke she tried to pull away from him so she could see his face, yet he didn't allow it.

"Are you serious Zack?" she asked, the trembling of her voice more pronounced now.

"Dead serious Angela." He kissed her temple, pulling her closer.

"Then yes, Zack Taylor, I will marry you."

_End Flashback_

"I still can't believe you guys got married without telling us." Billy said, studying his friend's face, a foolish grin spread on his face.

"I can't believe you pulled it off so quickly. God knows how slow the French are. To top it all off, I can't believe my mother helped and witnessed this, but did not say a word to me." Kim added shacking her head, chuckles and giggles being heard around the table.

"There is more." Angela added.

"More?" Tommy inquired, stunned by the rapid pace of the evening. Here he was with both of his exes at one table, one happy and in a relationship with one of his closest friends, the other avoiding him, his best friend, his brother, getting married to a close friend of his, and the one man that he thought would never be able to settle was not happily married.

"Yeah. You guys will be aunts and uncles in about six months. I think this would be called the first Ranger baby." She smiled, rubbing her stomach lovingly.

"Oh my…" Kat gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Angela burst into laughter upon seeing the ten stunned faces, and she quickly hid her head in Zack's shoulder, her shoulder shacking from laughter.

In a matter of seconds, Kim flew in Zack's arms; tears of joy streaming down her face, closely followed by Aisha. The groups cheered and hugged, happy tears clouding their vision.

"Champagne for everybody in the restaurant, on me. This lovely couple here, my friends, is having a baby." Jason called out, pointing at Angela and Zack, causing the other guests to cheer.

After a set of congratulatory hugs and shed tears, the group retreated to their seats, sipping their beverages and continues to talk about Zack and Angela's upcoming wedding reception, and the first Ranger baby.

"Man you should have seen the welcoming I got from Angela's family. Now that is something I never wish on anybody."

_Flashback_

"Do we really need to tell your parents right now? I mean they will kill us about the wedding anyway, but the baby? Yikes." Zack asked concerned, while holding the door so Angela could slip out of the car.

"It's going to be fine Zack, they love you, remember?" she assured, her voice not as confident as she wanted it to sound.

"Mama, daddy, it's so good to see you." Angela greeted, climbing the stairs leading to the porch of the house she called home.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Huston." Zack added, shacking Mr. Huston's hand, while embracing Mrs. Huston.

"Come in, kids. We're so glad you stopped by. It's been too long." Mrs. Huston added leading the pair into the house and rushing towards the kitchen.

Mr. Huston sat in his large armchair, studying the pair, one eyebrow raised suspiciously. He knew that something was up; he had never seen his daughter so nervous before. To top it all off, he had been a cop most of his life and he could smell fear a mile away. In front of him where two very scared young people and he had a hunch he would not particularly enjoy the following conversation. Mrs. Huston returned mere minutes later with a tray of sweets and beverages a content expression on her face. Sliding in her husbands loving and waiting arms, May Huston sized up the two individuals sitting on the couch. As her husband, she to had the impression that there was more to this visit then an average social call.

"Do tell. How have you been?" the older woman began, pouring some ice tea into two tall glasses.

"Well, we've been good mama. We have some news for you." Angela began, taking Zack's hand and squeezing gently.

"Oh, Jeff, they have news." Angela's mother peeped out, smiling, caressing her husband's arm.

"Ahm…you see, mama, daddy, you're going to be grandparents in a few months." Angela breathed out, small trembles going through her body.

The older couple went silent, both paled slightly, petrified by the news they had heard. Swiftly Mr. Huston left his seat, heading towards his study.

"Mama, where's daddy going?" Angela asked, her voice shaky. She prayed to God that her father wouldn't do what she thought he would.

"Jeff? Baby? Come back here quietly and let's talk about this." May called after him, heading towards the study herself.

The 6'4'' man appeared in the door, a shotgun in hand. Loading the gun loudly, he reached the couch in two strides, pointing the menacing object at Zack's head.

"I'm gonna kill you for getting my baby pregnant, you son of a…" Mr. Huston yelled, causing his wife to step closer to him, her petite hand, firmly pushing Jeff back.

"Jeff, let him be." She yelled.

"Daddy, we're married. He married me before he knew about the baby." Angela yelled, tears threatening to spill from her dark eyes.

Concerned Zack jumped from his seat, pulling Angela towards him, murmuring soft words in her ear. She turned in his embrace, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"Mr. Huston, I wanted to do the proper thing, come here and ask you if I could have your daughter's hand in marriage." Zack began causing Angela to look at him through tear stricken eyes. "We just did it, without giving it a second thought; it felt right. We found out about the baby two days ago, and we have been married for almost three months now. If you really want to use that shotgun on me now, go ahead. But I don't regret marring your daughter, and as sure as hell, I don't regret conceiving a child with her." Zack finished, pulling Angela closer to him; she in turn smiled back, his words bringing a fresh batch of tears.

"Daddy? Mama?" Angela asked, her gaze traveling from her father to her mother. Smiling, Jeff lowered the gun, extending his hand towards Zack, who took it unsure. "Thank you for making my daughter an honest woman, and welcome to the family."

_End Flashback_

"Stuff like that only happens to you." Adam chuckled, shacking his head, thinking of all the trouble Zack managed to get himself into over the years.

"Yeah, you should have seen daddy during dinner. I thought he would eat Zack alive. _How are you going to provide for my baby? She's talented you know, and she needs the best."_ Angela imitated her father; hands resting on her hips, chin pressed down a deep frown marking her forehead. As on queue the table shook with laughter once more.

"Yeah, this reminds me of my daddy, when he met Rocky. Dad was cool with it, nana on the other hand was not." Aisha said, causing Rocky to groan.

"Please, don't remind me. I swear to God, sometimes I think your grandmother was a Power Ranger and not we. With that bag of hers, she could have sent Zedd running and screaming." The former Red and Blue Ranger moaned.

Aisha pulled him towards her, kissing him and he happily complied.

"Ok, enough you two. Break it off" Kim said, waving her hands in front of them. The couple reluctantly pulled apart, grinning at Kimberly. The former gymnast had a bad feeling the moment Aisha glared at her. It was the kind of look that Aisha reserved for mischief and Kim had a sickening feeling that the evening would not end well. As quickly as the look appeared it also disappeared.

She turned to the table once more, her gaze stopping on Tommy's form. The man was silently watching Kim, gauging her expressions. He sensed Aisha's gaze on him and turned to face her.

"Oh fearless leader, I hear some pretty interesting stuff about you lately." The former yellow Ninjetti began.

"Really? And what exactly did you hear about me?" he inquired, his gut twisting and turning. He knew that Aisha was up to something, yet he couldn't understand where this could lead and to what exactly.

"There was something about you being cast in amber and something about somebody called Hayley." She said, curiosity marking her features.

"Is this Hayley chick your new flame?" she inquired further, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No, Aisha, Hayley and I aren't a couple. We met during collage, and have been friends ever since. She knows about my Ranger past and helped out with the Dino team; that's about it. The other thing you were talking about was the time I got cast into Amber by the bad guys, then couldn't de-morph only to be turned invisible and later on landed in a coma." He explained, questions rising from every part of the table. He started answering some of them and half way participating in the discussion, when he noticed Kimberly. In her far corner, under the streaming light, the one he once called his Crane was livid, slightly trembling and absentmindedly rubbing her wrists. Her actions brought a frown to appear on his forehead and focus even more on her. By now the conversation had shifted its focus away from him, his friends recalling past battles and did not pay any attention to him, allowing him to observe Kim without being noticed. She seemed uncomfortable, her eyes scanning her surroundings, never once meeting his. Nervously she bit her lip, her eyes turning from the balcony and meeting his across the table. When their eyes finally met for a split of second, hers widened, only to quickly avert them from his and she began staring out of the window again, her furious wrist rubbing never ceasing. It was in that split of a second that Tommy managed to see what bugged her. He saw fear and concern in her eyes and it melted his heart a bit more. Even though she had sent the letter all those years ago, practically ripping his heart into tinny pieces, she still cared. He wanted to reach out to her, hold and tell her that nothing happened, that he's fine, alive and kicking.

"_Stupid, stupid, stupid! How can that man be such a knucklehead? As it wasn't bad enough that he got himself blown up, now he had to go and end up in a coma after being cast in amber. What the fuck is wrong with him?"_ She thought, panic and anger swelling in her chest. Right now she wanted nothing more then wipe the floor with him, scream and kick him just to make him realize the size of his stupidity. A battle waged inside of her, from one point of view she understood Tommy, understood his need for adrenaline and she knew how much being a Ranger meant to him. Truth been told, she would have stepped up once again if she would have been offered the chance. One of her greatest regrets was giving up her power coin and leaving the team. But she knew her limits and thanked havens that her self-preservation system was fully operational unlike that of her former lover.

Warm hands settled over hers, halting the frantic movement. She didn't need to turn around to see to whom those hands belonged to, she knew them in a million. All evening he had been casting her worried glances and it had been clear to her that it was just a matter of time until he would make his concern known.

"It's ok Kimmy; deep breaths, I'm here." He said, leaning closer to her ear. She turned around meeting his concerned gaze.

"Am I under supervision again Jason?" she tried to joke, yet failed miserably, her forced smile not reaching her eyes.

"I've been watching you all evening and if you don't stop soon, I doubt there would be anything left of your wrists. You will be fine, trust me. Just enjoy the evening and let go of those thoughts." He supplied, his hands squeezing hers once more and then turning away from her. She caressed his hands lightly, her eyes turning toward the table only to be met by Adam's puzzled expression. She quickly mouthed, "I'm fine." watching Adam reluctantly nod and turn so he could see Tanya and engage in the conversation she and Billy were currently deeply engrossed.

"Hey short stuff, I forgot to ask you sooner, where did you disappear off for six months?" Rocky questioned and Aisha grinned.

The table went quiet, all eyes focused on Kim once again. She reluctantly let go of Jason's hand, taking a sip of her beverage and claiming the phone from the table so she could toy with it.

"Ahm, about eight months ago, the company I'm working for opened up another branch in Europe. This time they focused on Rome and they nominated one of my co-workers, a guy named Matthew Lewis to head for Rome and supervise the whole set up and basically run the company for six months, maybe a bit more. Three weeks before he was supposed to leave, Matt fell very ill and had to be hospitalized, so my boss sent me instead and I ended up staying in Rome for those six months." She concluded her tale slightly leaning on Jason.

"Very cool. But what happened to Mark?" Angela asked.

"Mark? How did you know about him?" Kim began, her eye narrowing suspiciously.

"Aisha." Angela added worried that she had let something slip that she shouldn't have known.

"Sorry, my bad. She asked about you and I told her about Mark. Anyway, girl what did you do with the man? You guys still together? Damn he was fine" she inquired, completely oblivious to Kim's panicked face and Tommy's darkened features.

A tight knot settled over his stomach and he had to fight down the urge to smash everything gathered on the table. Although it was normal that Kim had dated in the past ten years, hell he had had his fare share of women, he couldn't help feeling the fangs of jealously biting and stabbing through him.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kim mustered up the courage and spoke.

"No, we broke up before I left for Rome. There was no point in us continuing this. I wouldn't be able to come back to New York for at least six months and his job kept him in the States. It was better like this." She shrugged, her face void.

Anger bubbled inside of him and before he could stop his emotions taking control of him fully, he spoke. "Did you tell him that you were done with the relationship through a Dear John letter, Kimberly?" his bitterness and sarcasm in his tone silencing the table.

She thought somebody slapped her. Hard. Next to her she could feel Jason tense, and Adam looking at her anxiously. His words had opened up old wounds deep in her soul and she was bleeding, but she would be damned if she would go down without a fight. _"Two can play this game."_ She said to herself, her eyes rising to meet his. Tommy was taken aback when he saw the coldness and steel in the doe colored orbs.

"No, I did not. Not that it is of any concern of yours." She bit back, defying him with every word she spoke, although it hurt her to speak to him in that matter.

"Is it not? Hmmm, I was just curious how you differentiate between lovers. The ones that matter get a face-to-face fuck you, while the others have to resign themselves and accept a letter. Guess I now know where I stand. Thank you." His tone angrier and the words spoken through clenched teeth.

Her eyes blazed, the blood rising in her cheeks, not of embarrassment but of fury. _"Who the hell does he think he is? What right does he have to talk to me like that?"_

"Guys, come on. Stop it, this evening is supposed to be one filled with joy and happiness." Tanya stepped in, desperately trying to distract the former power couple.

" It's ok Tanya, this is long overdue. It ends tonight." Kimberly spoke, her finger pointing at her and Tommy. She was composed and ready to fight.

"I've learned from my mistakes and I won't repeat them. I'm no longer 17 Tommy; I've moved on and prioritized my life. Maybe you should do the same, oh fearless leader." Her arms crossed, features determined, sarcasm dripping from every word she spoke. If he wanted to play dirty, so could she. It pained her to no end, but she was no longer the damsel in distress, she had grown up and knew how to step up for herself.

He clenched and unclenched his fists under the table, his soul in agony, his mind furious, yet a tiny voice was begging him to let the argument go. _"This was not supposed to be like this, we weren't supposed to fight."_ Rage clouded his judgment, letting it take over and allowing his cursed mouth a life of its own.

"Bravo, Kimberly. Your priorities are to be admired. I've seen you today briefly, even during dinner. You're a genuine workaholic, a well-oiled machine, removing everything from her path, even the people that love you. Do your priorities include living with five cats alone in your Manhattan apartment? Because at the rate you are saying good-bye to every man that is foolish enough to fall for you, this is how your future will look like." He snarled at her, studying her face. If it was possible, Kimberly had paled even more, her composure slipping away.

"Bro, watch your fucking mouth." Jason warned, his features dark, trying to distract Tommy and Kim from their staring match. Kimberly, put a hand on his forearm, causing him to turn and look at her. Jason's movement broke the staring match going on between his former lover and himself. From the corner of his eye, he could see Trini's murderous gaze, while Adam was restraining himself from jumping over the table and strangling Tommy. The others were stunned beyond belief and couldn't utter a single word.

Quickly he focused on Kim once more, only to be faced with the same determination he had seen throughout their argument. When she spoke, her voice had dropped a few degrees; every word she spoke sharp as a blade.

"You may have a point, but at least I know that the men who claimed to have loved me, have at least tried to fight for me, when I decided to exit their lives. At least I know where I stand now in your book Tommy. Thank you. Now if you all would excuse me, I need to return to my room and finish up some details for the wedding. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day". Standing up she retrieved the mobile phone from the table, while the other hand grabbed her bag, waved at the horrified group and walked towards the set of oak doors separating the terrace from the restaurant.

"Oh God Jason, what a disaster… If she's going to…" Trini crooned, her eyes misty, her forehead resting on Jason's shoulder. Her fiancé was shooting daggers at Tommy, who hid his face behind his palms.

"Go with her. I'll handle the rest." He advised, and she nodded.

"I love you." She murmured, brushing her lips against his.

"I love you too. Call me Trini, no matter what, call me." He added, letting go of her fingers.

She bid her goodbyes to the now sullen group, her eyes meeting Adam's. The ex black and green Ranger mouthed a "call me" and Trini nodded before hurrying out of the restaurant.

Kim ran to her car, the anger in her finally subsiding letting the pain step in. She could barely breath and the tears were threatening to overwhelm her.

"I will not cry. I swear to God, I will not let this man make me cry one more time." The gymnast shook her head climbing into her vehicle and speeding away.

Her chest burnt when she searched for her key card, but she swallowed, the sadness, pain and anger waging a war inside her torn soul. Finally the room opened with a click and she closed the door, her forehead resting on the surface, her bag tossed aside with her keys. She had closed her mobile phone, the moment she left the restaurant, and now Kimberly fought for her composer once more.

"To hell with it all." She spoke softly, pushing herself away from the door and walking towards the door separating. Determined she opened the door separating her sleeping quarter from the sitting area and in one swift movement she opened the mini-bar and took out the ice from the small freezer and the bottle of scotch. She grabbed a glass from her working desk, threw in the ice and added the liquor. In one large gulp she ingurgitated half of the alcohol, coughing slightly when she felt the burn. The moon was filtering through the velvet curtains of the room and she stepped closed to the window, pulling the material apart and resting her forehead against the cold surface.

It was in this place, still nursing her drink that Kimberly Ann Hart broke down in this way for the first time in almost a decade. Time ceased to have any meaning, the pain overpowering her, her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor sobbing uncontrollably. It was in this manner that Trini found her a good twenty minutes later.

"Oh God, Kimmy, c'mere!" Trini said her voice shacking. She dropped to the floor hugging the petite and shattered woman closer to her, rocking her gently and rubbing circles on her back.

"I can't do this anymore. I need to…oh God, Tri please get rid of all the…"

"Already did Kim. Just calm down, take deep breaths." She instructed, yet when Kim struggled to calm herself a new set of tears made their way down her checks and she began sobbing again.

They had set on the floor holding each other for a long time. Kim's sobs had gradually dimmed down and Trini hoped she might be abele to convince her best friend to get some sleep. She pulled away slightly, and the movement snapped Kim out of her thoughts.

Her voice raspy from crying, Kim began. "I'm leaving Trini; after the wedding. I' m taking my boss's offer and moving to Rome. Maybe putting an ocean between him and me might be the best for everybody. He hates me and there is nothing that I could ever say or do that would change his mind. So I am done trying and suffering, I'll just walk away from all of it." She concluded her voice even and distant causing Trini to shudder.

"But what about me, Jason, your friends? We love you and we don't want you to leave." She began, knowing full well that her attempts were in vain. Kim had made up her mind and there was no way of changing it back.

"We'll keep in touch and I'll try to visit. I'll come for the other Ranger weddings and when you guys start popping kids." She chuckled humorless.

Trini did not dare to speak. Carefully she extracted herself from Kim's embrace and climbed back to her feet, pulling her friend along with her. Taking the glass out of her cold and trembling hands and placing it on the table, Trini guided her broken friend towards her bedroom. Gingerly she laid Kim on her bed, covering her with a blanket. Although she wasn't asleep yet, the bride to be could see that the planner's eyes were slowly but surely falling shut. Stroking her hair gently, Trini watched over her friend until the former pink Ranger slipped into the world of dreams. With a feline agility she went back to her room, closing the connecting door behind her. Retrieving the cell phone from her purse she hit the speed dial button.

Two rings later she was greeted by a tense voice.

"_Hey angel. How is she? How are you?" He asked_

"Hello love. She's asleep now, but she's a mess. Hell, right now I'm a mess too and am ready to commit some Tommy murder on my own."

"_That bad?"_

"Jason, she cried. I haven't seen Kim cry in almost five years. And there is more."

"_Oh God. More? Did she"_

"No! I made sure that wouldn't happen. Jason, I'm talking about the promotion. She's taking it; she's moving to Rome after the wedding. I can't convince her, I can't do anything. Jason, my best friend is in pain and leaving and I can't do a damned thing about it." Trini explained, shedding tears in the process, collapsing on her bed.

"_Love, don't cry. We will fix this." He soothed_

"How Jase? How, can we fix this? I lived without Kim for three years and I can't do this again, I can't go back to e-mails once a week after leaving in the same city with her for such a long time and seeing her on a daily basis. She's as much of a sister to me as she is to you."

"_We'll figure this out. I don't know how but we will. I promise you Trini."_

"Mkay. I love you. By the way, how's the idiot doing? She asked, calmer now, after hearing Jason's reassuring promise.

"_He's not good. Rocky nearly tore him apart in the parking garage. Adam and Billy stepped in just in time. When Tommy thanked them, Adam replied that he didn't do it to save him; he did it for me so I won't be without my best man. Honestly, I have never seen Adam nor Rocky so pissed in my entire life and Tommy so lost, angry and confused."_

"I know I might sound like a total bitch right now, but I wish Rocky would have wiped the floor a bit with mister rainbow." She sighted.

"_Sleep my love. We'll find a way out this mess tomorrow morning. I love you."_

"Love you too."

Hanging up the phone, Jason smiled at the device, then quickly discarding it on the bed. After all this time he couldn't believe that he managed to be with such a wonderful woman. She was his better half, she completed him, she was his soul mate and had known it for years, but all that time he had buried his feelings, thinking she might never feel the same way he felt. Now, he was one step away from committing to each other for the rest of their lives, but his joy, just like Trini's was overshadow by the pain Kim was in. Opening the well stocked mini bar, still musing on the situation his little sister and his best friend were in, he retrieved two bottles of beer, opened them swiftly and walked towards the balcony that connected the two suits.

Tommy gazed at the bright moon, his face bathing in its comforting rays. His mind flashed back to Kim's facial expression during the argument. She had been so angry, his words had clearly hurt her; he had seen it when her mask came undone. But his Beautiful had fought back, had thrown harsh words back at him. Tommy wondered if she had seen how much her remarks bothered and hurt him. The Kim he knew in the past would have never been able to utter such words. The new Kim was full of hurt and anger, anger directed towards him. Her last argument struck a cord within him and he knew that on some level she was right. Kim had broken his heart trough a letter, yet he had never questioned her, never tried to ask for her motives, never fought for her.

"You look like you could use a beer." Jason said, handing him the cold beverage when Tommy spun around.

"Are you going to kick my ass too Jason?" he asked

"No; although you deserve it. But right now, I think you're doing a pretty good job beating yourself up. Man, what the fuck were you thinking? I do get it that you are still mad at her and that you're hurt, but dude what you said was heartless, cruel and completely unacceptable. Bro, I love you like my own flesh and blood, but if you mess her up, and she goes back to…" Jason stopped mid-sentence, taking a swing from his beer, and breathing deeply through his nose so he could calm the sizzling anger rearing its ugly face from behind his composed expression. He turned to meet Tommy's gaze, determined to get his point across. The man had turned to face his best friend, following the conversation closely.

"She'll go back to what Jase?" he prompted.

"If she goes back, I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand?" Jason threatened, his voice deep and menacing, eyes hard as steel.

Tommy had no doubt in his mind that if anything would happen to Kim after tonight's show down, Jason would keep his promise.

Tommy nodded; understanding that asking more questions would be foolish. The original Red Ranger would not supply him with answers he so desperately needed. Sighting Jason spoke once again.

"Bro, talk to her. Your time is running up. I'm afraid to tell you that if you don't initiate this discussion soon, you'll miss your chance."

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked startled, the conversation keeping him on this toes, not allowing him to enjoy the cold beer.

"She's been offered a management position at her company…in Rome. From what Trini told me, after your little display of anger, you pushed her over the edge. She had been undecided for weeks about the job. According to Trini she's going to leave for Rome after the wedding." Jason explained, finishing his beer, setting his bottle aside and turning to look at the marvelous view.

"She's leaving…" Tommy murmured, and Jason nodded in response.

"I'm sorry to tell you but you fucked up…royally. I don't get you man. You let your anger consume you and after a decade you still hold it against her, behave like you were the only one hurting."

"She, fucking, left me Jason. Not the other way around. I think she got over it pretty fast." He replied bitter, fighting to keep his temper in check.

"Huh…you have no idea. I can only tell you that life has not been easy or pretty for Kim. She's been to hell and back and right now your inability to think before you speak sent her back to hell. Tommy, you made Kim cry, again. I should be wiping the floor with you right now, but I won't. This piece of information will act on your consciousness better then any ass whopping. I know you still care, I would actually go so far in say you still love her. But you're too stubborn to admit it."

"Jason, how bad?" asked softly, his head spinning from all the information received. _"Kim had been crying…because of him…she was leaving because of him…"_

"Really bad Tommy, really, really bad." The answer came, the former Red Ranger rubbing his face.

"How much do you know?" the former leader of the Power Rangers asked, his voice trembling. He didn't expect Jason to tell him that Kim had not been good after their break-up. Secretly he had hoped that them breaking up would torment Kim as much as it had him over the years. He knew the feeling and the desire was selfish and petty and a part of him hurt more then words could describe that she had been in pain all along.

Taking a shaky breath and running his fingers through his hair he said. "Everything."

Taken aback by this simple word, Tommy had to calm himself from not shacking his friend, or ripping the words right out him. He needed to know what had happened to her, had pushed her to destroy them both.

"Tell me." He prompted, anger tearing at his insides once again. His best friend had known all along, had been able to give him the explanations he so desperately needed, yet refused to tell him a single word. Although he knew Jason was in a way Kim's older brother, his allegiance lying with her, he couldn't help feeling betrayed. After all, Tommy had poured his heart out to Jason countless times, yet his best friend had never even mentioned that he knew something about Kim's reasons.

"It's not my place to tell you Tommy. Talk to Kim before it's too late. Night bro." Jason explained, sadness clouding his eyes. He left the room balcony heading for his own room so he could get some shuteye. Jason desperately prayed that the next day would bring the miracle they all so desperately needed.


	3. Caged Lions

**Dear all,**

**first of all I want to thank you for all your support and wonderful reviews. You guys are great.**

**Secondly, I want to thank my Beta, Anolide, for taking the time to read and correct this chapter. You are awesome :)**

**Read and Enjoy**

**xoxo LT**

* * *

><p>Kim woke up early the next day, her head sore, her eyes tired, her heart aching. Although she had fallen asleep almost immediately after coming back from the restaurant, it had not been restful, plagued with recurring nightmares, each and every one of them including Tommy. Waking up during the night she cracked the window open, hoping that the sound of the crickets might soothe her into falling asleep once more. At six-thirty in the morning she could smell the fresh air, lifted by the cool dew, hear the chirping of the early birds, and see the sun peeking through the curtains. She knew that there was no way she could fall asleep once more.<p>

She pushed herself off the bed with a groan, dragging her feet towards the bathroom. She quickly discarded her t-shirt and shorts, turning on the small radio set and stepping into the shower. Humming along, Kim tried her best to block the memories from the previous night—Tommy's hurtful words, his guarded face, the face of a stranger—but she couldn't. She shivered, resting her head against the cool tiles, composing herself, swallowing the hurt, just like she did every morning. It took her longer than usual to detach herself from the emotions running wild.

Quickly she dried her body with the large fluffy towel, brushing her teeth and applying lotion over her toned body. Once inside the room, she took her sweet time deciding on what to wear. _"Decide already, Kimberly. It's not like you need to impress anybody, right?" _she said to herself, laying two dresses on the bed and going back and forth between them. Finally she picked up the knee-length three-quarter sleeved lavender one, slipped into it, and chose a pair of wedges. Walking back into the bathroom, she took a handful of bobby pins, brushing her hair and pulling it into a double braid which exposed her delicate face.

Once done with her hair, she looked herself in the mirror and was stunned, not for the first time, by how young she looked with her hair pulled back from her face. Leaning against the bathroom counter she applied a fine line of eyeliner, a touch of mascara and, at the end, a hint of perfume to her pulse points. Once done, she took her watch and her favorite violet bangle, a Christmas present from Tanya, from her jewelry box and placed them on her wrists. By half-past seven she was ready to start her day, her worries pushed back.

With one more look in the mirror, Kim quietly slipped out of the room, careful not to wake Trini. Powering up her BlackBerry in the elevator, she waited for the device to get a signal, impatiently tapping her foot until the elevator door opened. She walked through the empty lobby, certain that there would be no guests in the restaurant—giving her more than enough time to enjoy the paper, her coffee, and a hot bagel. In New York, Kim usually arrived first in the office and was the last to leave. She loved her line of work; hence not being bothered by the fact she hadn't had a vacation in two years, or that she couldn't remember her last free weekend. Yet above all, although she liked to sleep in late, she adored being alone in the morning and being able to think, plan her day, or just enjoy a cup of coffee from her eleventh floor office while the sun rose over the Hudson river.

Taking a deep breath, she walked inside the restaurant and wasn't surprised to find it empty. A young girl wearing a uniform, her eyes still heavy from sleep, greeted Kim and handed her the paper. Kim smiled back and thanked her warmly, deciding she would leave her bag and paper on the terrace and then return and grab a cup of coffee and breakfast. Flipping through the paper, she made her way towards the terrace. Just as she was about to push the door open, she froze, her face falling when she saw a lone figure sitting at a table with his back to her. She didn't need to see his face to know who it was, so she swiftly turned and hurriedly walked towards the hotel entrance, her hunger forgotten.

Once she reached her car, she unlocked the doors. Throwing the bag in her right seat, she slipped in and turned the key into the ignition, her frantically beating heart calming at the elegant purr of the car. Fasting her seatbelt, she then backed out of the lot, put on her sunglasses and attached her Bluetooth headset, and drove as fast as possible away from the hotel. Deeply engrossed in her phone conversation, she failed to notice that she took a different exit than the one used the previous day, resulting in her driving in front of the terrace and Tommy.

He saw her speed away, and he clutched his newspaper harder. After a restless night, with Jason's words still swirling in his brain and Kim's face dancing in front of his eyes, he had decided around five in the morning to practice a kata just to be able to focus on anything else—except on her and the emotions that gripped him.

Months ago, when Jason had called him to tell him that he and Trini were engaged and soon to be married, he couldn't have been happier for the two of them. A few days later Jason had arrived in Reefside on business, meeting Tommy for a drink in the evening at a local bar. The two friends had been discussed wedding plans when Jason accidentally slipped a piece of information that rendered Tommy speechless: Kim was in charge of the wedding preparations, and would be there the whole time he had planned to stay with his friends in Saratoga Springs. Distressed, Tommy had postponed the actual date of arrival as much as possible… until Jason had stepped in, once again, forcing his hand and basically dragging him kicking and screaming to the little town.

Now, his first full day in Saratoga Springs, he had seen his former lover and had managed to start a fight with her, causing chaos among the group. He had nearly gotten his ass kicked by his friends, and had found out that the woman that still gripped his heart was moving out of the country—out of the continent, for that matter—because of him. Things were definitely not going according to plan. When he left Reefside, he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let Kimberly get to him; instead, he would try to be as distant from and polite to her as possible.

After his morning kata and a quick shower, Tommy had strolled lazily into the empty restaurant, getting himself a cup of coffee and the morning paper. He had felt himself growing calmer with every passing second until she had walked into the restaurant. Although he hadn't seen her, he had sensed her, something that made him happy and saddened him at the same time. Through the years they had been apart, he found himself still attached to her in some inexplicable way. During the whole Maligore incident he had felt her presence, even when she was turned evil. He could walk into a darkened building with her somewhere around and could pinpoint her location with precision. It scared him to know that she still had such a grip on him, their link as powerful as it was ten years ago. When she had walked into the restaurant, he had hoped that she would come over, giving him an opportunity to apologize for the way he had reacted the previous night; but instead, once again, she had walked away. Sadness and anger gripped his chest.

"_Typical Kimberly. When it gets tough, she just walks away,"_ he thought, trying to focus on the paper again.

At precisely 8:15, Kimberly rang the doorbell to Rose Garden. A few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal a surprised James.

"Miss Hart, what on Earth are you doing here at this time?" he asked, stepping away from the door to allow her to walk in.

"I apologize for the early visit, but I couldn't sleep and I thought I might get some work done," She gave him an apologizing look.

"Oh, no problem, Miss Hart. Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked, his British accent even more pronounced than usual.

"Thank you, James, but I would rather have a cup of coffee," she said. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled.

"Well, I think I'll fix you up something to eat while you have your coffee," James chuckled, walking towards the kitchen.

Once inside the kitchen, Kim quickly pulled a bar chair and climbed on, resting her elbows on the island counter. Meanwhile, James opened the fridge, humming to himself while he looked through the supplies.

"Do you like omelets, Miss Hart?" he asked, his head still in the refrigerator.

"I do, James, but please call me Kimberly or Kim. Miss Hart sounds so old maid," She laughed.

"Very well… Kimberly, omelet it is," With that said he pulled a carton of eggs and some ham, along with cheese and milk out of the fridge. Fetching a mixing bowl, a fork, knife and a pan, he began preparing breakfast. The room was quiet, the only sound coming from James's cooking and the coffee machine. Kim hopped down from her chair, grabbing a cup and pouring a generous amount of the caffeinated beverage. She closed her eyes as she took the first sip, moaning in pleasure. Returning to her chair, she continued to observe the elderly man.

"Hey, James, I never asked you this before, but how come you live here?" she began, sipping from her steaming mug.

"Well Miss…," he began—but, seeing her cocked eyebrow, he corrected himself. "I mean, Kimberly, I moved here about forty years ago. I grew up in Bristol, but I always knew I wanted to become a butler. When I turned sixteen, I left home and moved to London and went to the butler academy," he said, pouring the milk into the mixing bowl. She giggled at the idea of a facility providing extensive training to become a butler and he raised his eyes, smiling at her.

"Oh, don't laugh, my dear. Getting into the academy was a serious accomplishment for me. I worked long and hard, but after four years of intense training I graduated and began my first job with a prestigious family. The Kinlans were good people, wealthy but modest, always treated me like family. Their oldest son was my age and we became good friends, always up to no good. He married a few years later, moving with his wife across the ocean. Naturally he asked me to accompany them, and I happily obliged. We moved to Boston, where John worked at a law firm and his wife, Marge stayed at home," he explained as he stirred the eggs a bit more, seasoning them with salt and pepper.

"So, when did you move here from Boston?" she asked, her eyes glued to his expression.

James went on with an indulgent smile. "About six years after we moved to the United States, Mrs. Kinlan gave birth to the couple's first child, Elizabeth. The law firm was growing and John, to show his unconditional love for his wife and to celebrate the birth of Eli, bought this house. It was a wreck, barely standing, but Mrs. Kinlan loved it the minute she laid eyes on it. It became her personal project, and she began spending more and more time away from Boston to renovate the house. Four years later the house was done, and Mrs. Kinlan gave birth to the couple's second child: another girl, Rebecca. From that point on, we alternated between Boston and Saratoga Springs. When Rebecca turned ten, John opened an office here, moving the family permanently to Springs,"

"Did they return to London?" she asked, now curious.

"When Eli turned sixteen, John and Marge died in a car accident on their way to Rose Garden from Boston. The girls returned to the care of their grandparents in England, but I stayed behind with my wife, not having the heart to leave this house filled with so many wonderful memories. The Kinlans were kind enough to allow us to stay in the house, claiming that the house belonged to the two girls and that I should be its keeper until the girls are old enough to decide what to do with it.

"The years passed and we waited to be summoned back to London, or to be asked to move out, but that never came. Upon reaching the legal age, Eli visited and asked Constance and myself to continue guarding the house. Both sisters moved to the United States when their grandparents passed away, and are now living in San Francisco. They instructed me to rent the house for whichever events that I see fit," James explained. He grabbed a plate from a cupboard, took a knife and fork from a drawer, and placed the utensils in front of Kim. He eased the omelet onto her plate with a steady hand and put the bread into the toaster.

"Forgive me if I'm being rude, but where is Constance?" Kim shyly asked, not daring to look at him.

"She passed away before you started with the company," he stated simply, putting the kettle on the oven.

"I am so sorry, James. I shouldn't have asked about her, it was disrespectful. I apologize," Kim said, her voice small and fragile.

"It's all right, Kimberly, no harm done. Constance was a wonderful woman, best companion that I could ever have, but it is better for her like this," he replied, putting a tea bag into his cup.

At his statement the planner frowned. She had been working with James close to four years now, but he had never mentioned Constance until now—and though she knew him to be cold and distant by nature and upbringing, she couldn't help but feel that James did not seem to be as affected by his wife's death as he should have been. He called her his companion, not his love or beloved or whatever; just companion. That puzzled Kim.

"You seem deep in thought, Kimberly. What's bothering you?" James asked, stirring his tea. He took a seat in front of her, resting his cup on the island and gazing intensely at her.

"Honestly, I'm ashamed to even word what I'm thinking, so just leave it at that," she replied briskly, digging into her omelet.

"Constance was a wonderful wife and a great mother who gave me two beautiful children that I love more than life itself, but she was not the woman I was in love with," James explained plainly, looking out the window. His statement made Kim blush and choke on her food—it was like he was reading her mind.

He chuckled warmly, glancing back at her. "I think I have nailed it, right, Kimberly?"

She nodded reluctantly, taking a sip from her coffee.

"You see, when I was still in school, I met this wonderful woman, Mary, and I was immediately smitten. We began a relationship, and soon after I wanted to make her my wife," His voice trailed away as he stared absentmindedly into space.

"What happened?" Kim asked quietly, her food forgotten.

"I made a mistake. I lied to her, turning my back on her and breaking her heart," James said, sighing.

"But didn't you try to make amends?" she pushed on further, dreading his response the moment she voiced the question.

"I did, but by than it was too late. She had moved on, married somebody else. Although I was still in love with her, I did not have the heart to confront her and confess. It is my biggest regret to this day. I moved with the Kinlans to the United States, where I met Constance and married her soon after. She made me happy, but I never felt fulfilled, and no other woman can take Mary's place in my heart," James finished, his eyes sad.

When he felt her small hand on his arm, he turned to her and, seeing the compassion in her eyes, smiled sadly.

"I'm truly sorry, James,"

"It does not matter anymore, it's long passed. I hope she is happy, and that youths today are smarter than I was and do not repeat my mistake. My mother told me while growing up that every person on this planet has a matching partner, a soul mate if you will, and when those two souls meet, they shouldn't let love slip between their fingers. Now, my mother wasn't the most beautiful woman or the smartest, but she was never wrong, and I believe her," The doorbell rang and James quickly moved towards it, leaving Kim with a heavy heart.

"Oh dear God! Jason, my mother is being impossible again," Trini grumbled as she slid on the large armchair. Jason, sitting on the armrest, hugged her petite figure and placed a kiss on top of her head.

"Of course she's being impossible, love. We're getting married soon—she's got the mama blues," Jason chuckled softly.

It was now well past lunchtime, and the group had met up earlier at the house to check on the arrangements and grab a bite to eat. James, happy to have the entertaining crowd around, had busied himself in the kitchen by throwing a feast for twelve former Power Rangers and Kim's two assistants. They had all gathered around the dinning room table, chatting and laughing, with everybody in good spirits. Upon finishing the early lunch, Jason and Trini had met up with their respective families while the others had walked around town, leaving Kim to her business. A few hours later, they had all met back at the house. Now, Trini was more nervous than ever before.

"What happened this time?" Aisha asked, sipping her iced tea next to Rocky on the sofa.

"She's still pissed that I didn't ask her to take care of the wedding organization instead of Kim. I told her a million times that Kim's a professional, but she still took it personally," Trini answered rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Now she's threatening to show up and take matters into her own hands," She groaned.

"Please don't tell me she's coming here?" Jason asked, shuddering at the thought of his future mother-in-law showing up at the manor and meddling in Kim's business.

"No. My dad, sister, and the two dozen aunts, uncles, and cousins are keeping her busy," Trini sighed, adding a teaspoon of honey to her green tea.

"Well, we can always send Jason's parents as reinforcements in case your mom decides to show up here," Tommy said, making the group laugh.

"Oh, that is definitely something I would like to see," Trini said, smiling. Although she hadn't forgiven Tommy yet for the scene he had caused the previous night, she and Jason had had a long conversation in the car that had melted her anger a bit. For now, she was going to play nice—but that could change if Tommy didn't hold his tongue.

"I know, I think I might get some popcorn and front row seats for that one. Trini, your mom is scary, but Jason's mom, well… that is something that Kim probably aspires to," Rocky said and the room shook with laughter once more.

"Can you imagine what would happen if Trini's mom showed up and got into Kim's business?" Kat asked.

"I don't ever want to witness a Mrs. Kwan versus Kim showdown. I guarantee casualties," Rocky answered.

"Speaking of Miss Pink, where is she?" Zack asked, looking around for his friend.

"She came by when we were planning the bachelor and bachelorette party, but she didn't stay long after the set-up guys arrived," Aisha answered, eying Tommy carefully. The two had tip-toed around each other the whole day, avoiding contact by all means: Kim never staying in the same room for more than half an hour and directing the conversation to wedding-related issues, and Tommy refusing to look at her or speak to her more than necessary.

"About the party, what are we doing tonight?" Billy asked, his fingers laced with Kat's. The former Pink Ranger was sitting on his lap.

"I say strip club," Zack began, only to be cut short by Angela's hand colliding with the back of his head.

"What was that for, babe?" he asked, rubbing his head.

"Zack Taylor, you don't actually believe that I'd let you go to a strip club when you're happily married?" Angela demanded as the group snickered.

"Jason, bro, this is married life. Enjoy your remaining freedom, because the day after tomorrow you're toast," Zack warned, his hand still pressing the sore spot.

"See, this will never happen to me," Rocky said smugly, positioning himself more comfortably on the couch. "Aisha trusts me fully and would let me go to a strip bar whenever I wanted,"

"The hell I would!" Aisha interjected as soon as Rocky finished his statement. "You don't actually believe I would agree with you going to a bar, getting drunk, and staring at half-naked women?"

"But, babe, you know I don't want anybody else. I look, but I never touch," Rocky whined, scooting closer to her.

"Yeah, but by the fifteenth glass of tequila you start seeing me everywhere and you won't know which 'Aisha' you go home with," Aisha laughed, patting Rocky on the leg. He, on the other hand, pouted and folded his arms across his chest like a child. The others chuckled at his expression until Tommy interrupted the dirty jokes now circulating around.

"So, Jase, what do you want to do instead, now that a strip club is out of the question?"

"Pub crawling doesn't look too appealing to me. I think we passed that stage while in college," Jason began.

"Speak for yourself," Rocky muttered. They all shared an amused look.

"Saratoga Springs is too small for clubbing, so I have no clue what we could do," Jason concluded with a sigh.

"Jason, tell me, what would be the one thing you would love to do before you get married?" Adam asked, shooing Tanya from his lap so he could get more comfortable.

"Honestly, I would kill to be able to pilot my old Zord again," Jason answered, his eyes glowing. The others shared knowing looks, wistfulness lingering in their eyes.

"Take it down a notch, Sparky. Our old Zords are screws and sprockets, and I doubt even Billy would be able to rebuild them in a couple of hours," Adam said, longing still in his eyes. He, like the others, missed his frog Zord immensely and understood perfectly why Jason wanted to recapture the thrill of piloting one again.

"I think I have an idea," Tommy said, grinning.

"Care to share?" Billy asked.

Tommy shook his head, denying him the answer. "It's going to be a surprise. Just trust me on this one,"

"Just please don't forget, oh fearless leader," Kat said, making him chuckle.

"It's been awfully quiet outside. I wonder where…"

Before Adam could finish his sentence, they all cringed at the scream.

"HENRY, YOU IDIOT!" Kim boomed.

"Uh-oh!" Jason and Rocky said at the same time, looking at each other. Jason, first on his feet, was out the door before the others could rouse themselves and follow him.

Jason flew down the stairs leading to the garden, finally spotting an outraged Kim yelling at Henry.

The others, stopping on the stairs, observed the mess spread on the lawn: the tents for the reception halfway erected, the ceremonial pavilion still not mounted. The garden was in complete chaos, with boxes strewn everywhere, chairs stocked in a nearby woodshed, people gaping at the petite woman screaming her lungs out. They all saw Jason approaching their friend and had to hold on to each other to keep from tumbling down the stairs in laughter.

On the lawn, between boxes and wood pieces, was Kimberly, her five-foot-something frame yelling at a six-foot-five young man, who was trying his best to blend in with the ground. Kim's harsh words and almost hysterical tone caused him to flinch and shrink, her words reducing him to a pool of trembling mush. She was beyond angry and he was, needless to say, scared for his life.

"I'm sorry, Kim, it was a misunderstanding. They told me they didn't have the lanterns you asked for and gave me these instead. How was I supposed to know what was written on them?" Henry asked, exasperated.

"You should have opened the damn box and looked at the instructions. There is a label clearly explaining the meaning of the characters," she yelled back, feeling the pang of an impending migraine.

"I'll fix it, Kim, I-I-I swear," Henry stuttered.

"You better—and, while you're at it, you might want to look at the list of tablecloths I gave you. They were supposed to be red with yellow rimming, not PINK!" Kim screamed.

"But 'pink' was written on the list. I checked it this morning before I got the lanterns from the shop and came here," Henry defended himself.

"No, you moron. Light pink is the cloth that gets wrapped around the pavilion. Instead of that, I have blue silk for the pavilion and the chairs and no blue bands to tie the cloth to the damn chairs. To top it all off, you picked up the wrong flower arrangement. Those," she said, showing the large flower cart sitting next to the boxes, "are for another wedding. The planner has been calling me for two hours demanding to know where her flowers disappeared. I swear to God, Henry, if you don't…" she threatened.

"Kimmy!" Jason yelled.

She turned to him, hearing the others laughing on the stairs, and frowned. "What, Jason?" she asked angrily.

"Henry, go inside and grab a cup of coffee or something. I'll call you back a bit later, ok?" he said, giving the young man a stern look.

Henry smiled weakly and ran off before Kim could say anything.

"Deep breaths, Pinky. In and out, just like we practiced," Jason instructed.

"I'm not a child, Jason. I don't need to breathe in and out, I need to strangle that cretin," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Breathe, Kim, and tell me what happened," Jason commanded, using the tone he used in battles a decade ago.

"Before coming here, I left detailed instructions to Henry on what to pick up. I gave him the easiest tasks, leaving band, catering and photo confirmation up to Amber, because she can handle the heavier stuff. I took care of the arrangements here—the crew came today, materials in place—but, surprise, surprise, Henry got me the wrong colored material for the wedding pavilion, picked up the wrong lanterns and gave me somebody else's flowers instead of yours,"

"That doesn't sound so bad," Jason said calmly, looking at her.

She grabbed him by the hand and led him to the closest box, where she released him and began digging. Seconds later, she emerged, dangling a round red lantern with a yellow inscription from her fingers.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked, hands on her hip, a raised eyebrow studying his confused face.

"Yeah, a lantern. So?" Jason was growing impatient, thinking that Kimberly was overreacting.

"Absolute genius, Jason. Do you know the meaning of the writing on it?" she asked once again, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Nope. It's in Vietnamese," he answered his tone clearly that of a person reaching his patience threshold.

"It says, 'Congratulation, it's a boy!'" Kim flatly stated, watching as Jason's face paled.

"Shit!"

"Shit indeed. These have to be put up tonight, when those damn tents are erected, since tomorrow it's going to be too much of a hassle to put them on without the whole damn thing collapsing. We can put the candles in tomorrow, but the lanterns HAVE to go up tonight!" she pressed on, furiously rubbing her brow.

Jason could see the tension vibrating around her, her stiff posture, her furrowed brows, her set jaw. As they stood in silence, they heard an ear-splitting scream.

"KIMBERLY!"

"Uh-oh! I think Trini just found the lanterns," Jason said, seeing his future wife hunched over a box not far from the steps leading to the house.

"I'm so dead!" Kim whispered, grabbing Jason's hand.

"It's going to be fine, Kimmy, relax," he tried to reassure her, though his voice lacked confidence.

Trini stormed up the stairs, Kim and Jason right behind her.

"Trini, love, relax!" Jason yelled at her, walking faster. The others had followed the petite Asian into the house; when the former Red and Pink Rangers walked in, the room became eerily quiet. They both swallowed hard, turning towards the fuming bride.

"Tri, sweetie, listen to me, please!" Kim began, but stopped dead in her track upon seeing her best friend's murderous gaze.

"Don't Trini me! This is a disaster! Care to explain to my family why all the lanterns at my wedding have the inscription 'Congratulations, it's a boy!' on them?" Trini huffed, steam practically coming out of her ears.

"Trini, relax, I'll take care of it," Kimberly begged, her features tense.

"Kim, I love you, but right now I'm tempted to call my mother to solve this issue. And would you stop telling me to relax!" Trini ordered, still angry. Her eyes scanned the room, looking at the frightened and half amused faces of the former Rangers.

Jason stood in between the two women, ready to act in case things got ugly. Seeing the color drain out Kim's face and hearing Trini's labored breathing, he decided to intervene in spite of his better judgment.

"Look, Trini, sometimes things go wrong before a wedding, but that doesn't mean Kim won't be able to fix it. We still have time, so just take a deep breath and try to calm yourself, please," Jason said, putting his arm around her petite shoulders.

Right on cue, they heard a loud crash coming from the kitchen. Everyone's attention shifted towards the sound. Kim was the first to sprint out of the room, her eyes wide as surveying the scene. Henry, a bewildered expression on his face and a cup of coffee in his hand, was standing next to the kitchen island on a floor covered in shattered plates and glasses.

Kim swayed on her feet, her eyes flashing in anger as she balled her fists. "Out!" she growled.

Henry's face was as white as chalk, his whole frame trembling, but he didn't move.

By now the others had joined Kim in the kitchen and were looking in shock at the mess spread on the floor.

"I said, _out_, Henry," Kim repeated through clenched teeth. The man stood there, frozen in place.

Tears shimmered in Trini's eyes as she began sobbing; Jason held her, his face as flushed and angry as Kim's.

Henry's feet seemed rooted to the ground as Kim began moving towards him. Before she could reach him, however, Tommy snapped out of his shock-induced daze and caught her, holding her tight against his body.

"Let me go!" Kim struggled, but he gripped her tighter.

Henry swiftly made his way out, stumbling over the shards; he tried to grip the counter but missed, bringing the silver tablets crashing down with an ear-shattering sound. He quickly moved out of the kitchen, leaving Trini sobbing uncontrollably and Kim screaming at the top of her lungs for Tommy to free her.

"Would you calm down already?" he asked, trying to restrain her. She struggled harder.

"Let me go!" she demanded. He complied, freeing her.

Aisha, Tanya and Kat were already crouched, picking up pieces from the floor, while Billy and Zack searched for garbage bags and Rocky went to look for James. Trini was hysterical, while Jason was struggling to both keep his cool and soothe his fiancé.

Kim was breathing harshly, her whole frame trembling with anger. Tommy studied her, wishing he could make everything better and take away her burdens. "How can I help?" he asked quietly, stepping closer to her. She was bracing herself against the counter, trying to regain her cool as she watched him from the corner of her eye.

Kim extended her right arm, halting his progress and spoke without looking at him. "Stay out of my way." Her voice was barely controlled.

"You can't do everything by yourself. You're overworked and you have imbeciles on your team. Let me help..." Tommy trailed away, his frustration rearing its head.

"I can handle this. I do this on a daily basis and don't need any help," Kim replied, finally meeting his gaze.

"Kimberly…" he began, but she cut him off.

"No! This is my job. Stop questioning my abilities, I'm not a teenager anymore," the original Pink Ranger growled.

"I'm not! Look, would you stop being ridiculous and let others help you?"

"I'm being ridiculous? You're the one questioning the way I handle my business and who thinks I'm incompetent. Did I question you as a leader?" Kim asked, her murderous gaze piercing through him.

"Stop putting words in my mouth. I don't think you're incompetent. And, yes, you did question me as a leader—countless times in fact," Tommy replied, his voice rising in volume.

By now the room was deadly silent. Trini held onto Jason while the former Red Ranger analyzed the whole situation; Adam inched closer, ready to intervene at any time; Aisha moved towards Kim.

"Did you ever listen to me, when I questioned you?"

"You undermined my authority, but I never took it seriously."

"You never did. Just took it for granted," Kim said, anger blazing in her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked, invading her personal space.

"Exactly what you heard," she shot back, her anger quickly reaching its boiling point.

"That's enough!" Trini yelled, her anger overshadowing her panic attack. She glared at the two people engaged in a staring match, both tense and ready to throw more harsh words at each other.

"No, Trini. Miss Hart needs to explain," Tommy spoke, without looking at his friend.

"I've had enough of you two. We asked you to play nice for a few days—just a few days—yet neither of you is capable of holding your tongue for ten minutes. I'm so tired of this. Just lock yourselves in a room and either smash or bang each other's brains out; I don't care anymore!" Trini yelled, storming out of the room. Jason followed, hot on her heels.

Pain and remorse flashed in Kim's eyes as she watched her best friend storm out of the room and saw Jason's angry face. She could still feel Tommy's piercing gaze on her, but now her rage had subsided.

Turning to him, she said simply, "Outside, Oliver." Pointing towards the back door, she began to walk. Tommy trailed after her as she passed the den; now empty except for Henry, who was holding his head in his hands.

"Henry, go pack up the material and put them in the company SUV. Lanterns, materials, flowers, everything," Kim instructed, her voice weaker now.

He looked up at the sound of her voice, his face miserable. Nodding, he stood up from the couch and began moving towards the entrance.

The pair walked in silence, heading towards the gazebo. They had both cooled down, guilt now evident in their features. Kim walked up the stairs and turned to meet his gaze. He kept a safe distance from her, his face sad and sour.

"Look, I don't care how much you hate me or despise me; this isn't about you or me, or our past," Kim began, eying him tiredly as she leaned against the gazebo railing. He nodded, so she continued her train of thought. "This is about Jason and Trini, about their wedding. They're more than our friends, they're family, and we need to put our differences aside for a few days."

"I agree," he replied.

"Then let's try to be civil for the next seventy-two hours. After that, you can go back to screaming at me as much as you want," Kim said, looking tiredly at him.

"I just want to talk, Kim. I don't want to fight anymore, I'm so tired of it," he told her, inching closer. He quickly stepped back, however, when she shied away.

"After the wedding," she told him, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Yeah, right, you'll bolt again," he snorted, his irritation breaking through his composure.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked, straightening up immediately as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It means, you'll do what you do best—you'll leave again," Tommy spoke, his voice low and menacing.

Kim was about to reply when a timid voice called her name.

"What?" she asked, still glaring at Tommy.

"The car is full and I just wanted to know what you want me to do?" Henry replied uncomfortably, knowing that he had interrupted a tense discussion.

"Go to the car and wait for me there. I'll join you in ten minutes," Kim instructed.

"You're coming with me?"

"Yes."

"To New York?" Henry pressed.

"Of course, to New York. This mess needs to be fixed ASAP," she responded irritably, turning to meet Henry's gaze.

The man nodded and jogged towards the car, leaving the former Power couple alone as the tension between them wordlessly escalated.

"I don't have time for this, Tommy. I have a wedding to organize and a best friend to apologize to," Kim said. She stepped past him before he could reply, walking back towards the house and leaving him to stare at her swiftly moving frame.

She jogged up the stairs, her heart pounding wildly and her thoughts a mess. She was still angry, but his last comment had hurt her—a fact she would rather be caught dead than admit to. She felt guilty and was beyond worried for the wedding.

Stepping through the door into the den, she spotted Adam on the couch.

"Is he alive?" he chuckled humorously.

"Yes. Where is Trini?" she asked, her voice laced with anxiety.

"She's outside, in the greenhouse with the girls. When Jason failed to calm her down, they stepped in. Now they're playing shrink." Adam smiled, looking at Kim's pale face.

"And Jason?" the medalist continued, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"Billy and Zack drove him to town to grab a beer and calm him down, before he tears both you and Tommy apart for upsetting Trini," Adam continued.

"Oh, God! What have I done?" Kim cried, her palms covering her face. "Why aren't you with them, Adam?" she asked, speaking from behind her fingers.

"I had to make sure you two were alive and be there call 911 in case of emergency," Adam attempted to joke. Kim nodded, before grabbing Adam's cup and taking a sip out of it.

"Urgh, you put sugar in here. How can you drink this stuff?" the planner asked, swallowing the sweet liquid and pulling a face in the process.

"Hey, I have my vices, sue me." Adam shrugged. "Are you okay, Kim?" he asked quietly, his face serious as he observed her expression.

"Peachy! This day keeps getting better and better," she grumbled, looking at him with a sour expression. "I need to talk to Trini. I'll see you later, Adam, and thank you," she said, squeezing his shoulder.

She heard voices as she entered the greenhouse, one of them louder than the others. Kim smiled, recognizing it as Aisha's. Moving between pots and plants, she broke through and saw them all gathered around a round table. Trini's head was resting in her hands; Aisha patted her knee while Tanya stroked her back. As always, the yellows looked out for one another. Across from them, Kat and Angela looked at Trini, trying to come up with a way to make things better.

"Trini," Kim began. The women turned at the sound of her voice. Slowly Trini looked up, sniffling loudly, breaking Kim's heart in the process.

"Guys, would you mind giving Trini and me a minute?" she asked; but she found uncertainty written on their faces.

"It's okay, let me talk to Pinky." Trini smiled sadly and the four women nodded, slowly standing up and walking towards the entrance of the greenhouse. Aisha patted Kim's shoulder, giving her a gentle gaze, while the other women walked wordlessly towards the door.

Once alone, Kim walked slowly towards Trini, who was still crying softly, and crouched down. Putting a hand on Trini's knee, she looked up at her friend. Her mask was undone, her soul bare.

"I'm so sorry, Trini! I never meant for this to happen," she apologized, looking at her friend.

Trini just stared at her.

"Please, say something—yell at me if you want, I deserve it—but please, talk to me," Kim begged when more silent seconds passed. To Kim, they felt like hours.

"I'm sorry for screaming at you," Trini finally stated, her face sincere.

Kimberly laughed, looking at her and shifting closer. She then brushed the hair out of her face and wiped her tears away. "Are you kidding? You should have kicked my butt, I so asked for it," she joked.

Trini laughed in between sniffles, grasping her hand and smiling faintly.

"Is Tommy alive?" she asked, her smile broadening when she saw Kim's expression.

"Have you been talking to Adam? He asked me the same question. And yes, Trini, he's alive—although I wish I could have strangled him a bit for not being able to shut up," Kim said, shrugging.

"This is such a mess," the former yellow Ranger sighed.

"Yes, it is, and I'm mostly to blame," Kim replied, scooting closer. Her friend gave her a questioning stare, and she continued. "I shouldn't have snapped at him; he only wanted to help. But I was mad and he stepped in the line of fire," the planner explained, not meeting Trini's eyes.

"Did you tell him that?"

"Nope. I would never live it down if I had." Kim smiled, getting to her feet and sitting on the table.

"Look, Trini, I know things don't look good right now; but I promised to give you the wedding of your dreams, and I will keep my word," Kim said, taking Trini's hand.

Trini nodded, looking more hopeful.

"I have to go, but don't worry," Kim said then.

"Where are you going, Kimmy?"

"To New York, to take care of Henry's mistakes," Kim explained, hopping down from the table.

"Will you be back?"

"Of course, Tri; I'll be back by tonight. About the bachelorette party: Amber is in charge. Whatever you need, speak to her and she'll deliver. Understood?" Kim added, letting go of Trini's warm hand.

"Okkay, Pinky. I'll see you later," her former teammate said, pulling Kim into a hug, which she gladly gave into.

Walking towards the car, Kim decided to take the longer route through the back garden so she could calm herself. She would be spending some time locked in a car with Henry, and at the moment she was still mad at him. Walking slowly, the petite woman looked around, surveying the construction progress and let out a disappointed sigh. Then, she turned her gaze towards the gazebo. Sitting down and staring at her was none other than Tommy. She couldn't make out his features from this distance, but, from the set of his shoulders, she could determine that her former flame was still upset. She shook her head and increased her pace, failing to notice that Rocky was making his way towards the gazebo.

Rocky had avoided the line of fire as much as possible. When the second Kim versus Tommy blowout had occurred, he had swiftly fled the scene. Having been teammates and friends for such a long time, he was torn between the two and found it extremely difficult to take sides. Tommy was one of his closest friends, his sparring partner, someone he could pull pranks on people with; and once he had taken orders from him, followed him wordlessly into battle, trusted his judgment to the fullest. He respected and admired Tommy, and would follow him into battle, if the need ever arose, without a second thought.

On the other hand, Kimberly had always been nice to him. She had taken him under her wing when he joined the team, helped him with his siblings when needed, cheering him up when he was down—hell, she had even hinted that Aisha might like him as more than a friend, effectively pushing him into confessing that he wanted more than just friendship from his yellow teammate. In turn, she had become his little sister, an essential part of his life; on countless occasions he had stepped in for her when the boys were too pushy, or offered her a shoulder she could cry on.

Walking up the gazebo steps, he could see Tommy's slumped shoulders and dark features. He carefully stepped closer, took a seat close by, and looked at his friend. When Tommy met his gaze, Rocky cracked a smile.

"Rocko… What's up?" Tommy asked, his voice bare.

"I'm checking for bruises. I see Kimmy didn't draw blood." Rocky chuckled and Tommy smiled.

"Nah. She wasn't wearing heels, so no life threatening wounds. Plus we just talked… sort of," Tommy joked, straightening up so Rocky could look at hm.

"Was the talking similar to the kitchen screaming match?" Rocky asked, his voice a bit more somber. When Tommy cast his gaze away from him, he went on. "Look, I'm not going to apologize for last night—you had it coming—but I'm here if you need to talk, or even just to spar," he said, his gaze as sincere as his words

"I know, Rocky; and, trust me, I don't hold what happened last night against you. I would have reacted the same. Right now, though, I have no clue how to talk to her. She thinks I hate her, practically blocking any attempt to reach out to her. She makes me so mad, bringing out the worst in me—and then I snap at her and we fight," Tommy explained, standing up and walking around the gazebo.

"I think I'm going to get Jason and put into practice Trini's advice, lock you two up in a room, where you either kill each other or kiss and make up," Rocky joked again, standing up and moving towards his friend. "Tommy, man, be patient with her. I might not be as close to her as Jason and Trini are, but I know this: Kim's heart is in the right place. She just needs a gentle push, not a full blown attack."

"She's leaving, Rocko, after the wedding. I doubt I'll get my chance."

"I know, but moving to another continent takes time. It doesn't happen overnight," Rocky answered, clapping a hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"How do you know she's moving?" Tommy inquired, puzzled.

"Eh, I shake things up with a yellow. Nothing is a secret anymore when those two communicate. Plus, Adam's my best friend and also in a relationship with a yellow." Rocky smiled and Tommy laughed.

"There is something about that color," Tommy mused humorously. Rocky burst into laughter.

They then walked towards the house, determined to contain the damage and restore some peace to the gang.

Once inside, they were able to hear laughter filling the room. Tommy let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Upon meeting Trini's eyes, he bowed his head in shame, moving as far away as possible from her and avoiding her gaze. He felt guilty for upsetting Trini even more, and was clueless about how to make things up to her.

During a heated argument between Rocky and Aisha, the once nicknamed ape-boy decided to take revenge on his better half. Grabbing her by the waist, he trapped her underneath his body and tickled her sides. She shook with laughter, tears streaming down her face as she begged him to stop. Adam and Tanya were laughing hysterically every time Aisha squealed, while Kat and Angela giggled like two schoolgirls.

Tommy smiled, finding the silliness of his friends extremely amusing. He turned to observe the rest of his place, only to notice that Trini was looking at him intensely. She pointed towards the kitchen and he nodded, following her when she stood up and began walking.

Trini sat on a bar stool, her expression unreadable. Tommy squirmed, and the pretty Asian had to fight the laughter bubbling inside of her.

"I'm really sorry, Trini. I didn't mean to upset you—or fight with Kim, for that matter," Tommy apologized.

Trini burst into laughter. Tommy stared at her, puzzled, as if she had grown another head.

"Your face… just… priceless," Trini laughed as he continued to stare at her. "…I'm sorry. Look, Tommy, this wasn't your fault. I know, Kim knows, and so does Jason. Yesterday, yes, you blew it, but today… not your fault, rainbow." She giggled.

"I should have been in better control," he stated.

"Maybe. But you're only human, Tommy, and God knows Kim can be infuriating at times. Lets just bury the hatchet and try to behave like we're pushing thirty and not three, okay?" she asked, giggling.

Tommy smiled and stood up from his chair, pulling Trini into a hug.

Kim had been stuck with Henry inside the damn car for almost an hour, and slowly but surely she was losing her mind. The man was tense and refused to speak a word, but Kim knew that his silence was more the result of his shame than any resentment.

"Speak, Henry!" she commanded. He tensed up even more. "Oh, for Christ sake, I'm not going to bite your head off. I just want to know why you've been clumsier than usual," she continued.

Henry glanced at her. "I'm sorry, Kim. I didn't mean to screw up, it's just…" he trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

"It's just what?" Kim pressed. Henry seemed even more uncomfortable.

"Trini is your best friend and everything needs to be perfect. That's a lot of pressure, and I go from normal, forgetful Henry to klutz 2.0 just thinking about her and messing up," Henry explained, making Kim laugh.

"I still don't get it," Kim continued. "For you, she's just a client. Why the pressure?"

"I don't want to disappoint you, Kim. When I showed up at the company asking for an internship, everybody basically laughed in my face. You, on the other hand, gave me a chance. I just don't want to blow it… and I don't want to look like a fool in front of Amber. She mocks me enough on my good days, anyway," Henry explained, gripping the steering wheel harder.

"You like her!" Kim squealed, looking at her assistant. Her hunch was confirmed by the blush spreading to his neck. _"Oh my God, how is it possible I haven't seen it earlier?" _she asked herself, waiting for Henry to speak again.

"Yeah, I like her. But she'll never look at a dork like me. I finished finance and can barely hold something in my hands without dropping it two seconds later or falling on my face; no chick in her right mind would find that cool," Henry huffed, stopping the car at a red light. He leaned on the steering wheel, quietly swearing.

"I'm not going to give you dating advice—God knows I'm a disaster in that field myself—but I will say this, Henry: you're a good addition to the team. You know your numbers well, and our team is successful because you proved to be merciless with our clients when it comes to cash," Kim laughed. "Yes, you are clumsy outside of the office, but that doesn't mean you're not good at the job. You just need to be more confident and pay more attention to details," she explained, looking at him.

Her words eased the tension. Slowly Henry began to unwind and become more sociable, causing Kim to unwind as well and forget her troubles.

Groaning, Kim unlocked the door of her room, her feet aching from the hectic day. She threw her bag on the bed and quickly disposed of her shoes. From the common living space, she heard laughter and smiled.

"_Oh my God, you should have seen him the first time we did it. He tried to be all smooth and confident, but he was jittery like a kitten."_ Aisha's voice broke through, accompanied by a set of laughter.

"_My first date with Zack was a disaster. He walked into walls and spilled his coffee all over my new dress. It was so funny, because he kept apologizing and then doing something even sillier,"_ Angela supplied.

"_Yo, Kat, I want another one,"_ Tanya called, and Kim quickly put her hand on her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud.

"_With Jason, it was a bit more complicated. We danced around each other for…"_

"_Almost a decade,"_ Aisha added, interrupting Trini. In the other room, Kim pressed her face into her pillow, laughing hysterically at Aisha's comment.

"_Okay, fine, we danced around each other for a decade."_

"_I hope the wait was worth it, girl,"_ Tanya and Angela exclaimed, laughing.

"_She's blushing!"_ all four women yelled.

"_Now you have to share, I mean everything, and don't hold back,"_ Kat insisted.

At that moment, Kim opened the connecting door. "Please, don't: I'll never be able to look at Jason the same way again after that conversation," she laughed.

The women called her name, jumping from their respective places to hug her.

"Girl, did you bring Henry in one piece back?" Tanya began.

"Yes, he's fine, and I also found out why he's so clumsy," Kim told them, a twinkle in her eye as she sipped from Trini's cocktail.

"Hey! Get your own. I'm intending to spend my last moments as a single woman extremely intoxicated." Trini giggled as the girls cheered.

"Do tell, Kimmy. Why's Henry such a moron?" Aisha started.

"I'll tell you after I have a quick shower and get a drink," Kim told them, standing up from the couch and walking back towards her room.

Twenty minutes later, now sporting a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, Kim made her way back to the merry party. By now, the group had shifted into Trini's room, talking loudly and laughing.

"So, what did you guys have in mind for tonight?" she asked, looking at her sisters.

"Well, we spoke to Amber, but we were so undecided that she gave up on us," Angela laughed.

"So we just decided to go to a cute little restaurant, get a grab a bite to eat, and we'll see after," Tanya explained.

"Please, no Mexican. I'm so fed up with it, because every time we go back to Angel Grove to visit Rocky's mom she feeds us traditional Mexican food," Aisha pleaded, shuddering at the idea of eating something remotely related to Mexican food.

"Well, after we decide, head there, and have some food, we could always come back here and party a bit more," Kat said. "I'm sure that if we call the hotel and ask for fruit and a couple of bottles of some hard liquor, I can fix you up with some tasty cocktails," she added, hoping that her friends would accept her idea. She wasn't exactly in the mood to go out and party; she would rather spend time talking with her friends, having some cocktails and listening to some music.

"Well, I know this little restaurant close to the hotel. The last wedding I did here, the bride asked me to book her and her friends a table at '_Big Mama_' and they told me they loved it. Claire said that they have the best margaritas in town," Kim explained, giggling. "And yeah, after that we can come back here, get some bottles of whatever, and Kat can prepare us some lovely cocktails. After all, you need to show us your bartending skills," she continued, earning herself a big smile from Kat.

"Let's do this!" Aisha said, jumping from Trini's bed.

Two hours later, the six women were occupying a booth in the comfortable and homey atmosphere at Big Mama. The jukebox was playing 80's and 90's music, and a small stage provided the multitude of guests with the opportunity to try out their singing skills. By now, they had dug into their food, with Angela complaining that barely into her second trimester she was already eating for two. Her comment brought the six friends to tears of laughter.

"Kim, your turn to buy drinks," Tanya said. The original Pink Ranger nodded, sliding out of the booth and strolling towards the bar.

"What can I get you, pretty lady?" the bartender asked, and Kim had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. He had been calling her that the whole evening and she was slowly getting tired of it.

"Two Cosmopolitans, one Sex on the Beach, a Bloody Mary, an iced tea, and a Coconut Kiss without alcohol," she replied with a tight smile.

"Coming right up," he said, flashing her a smile.

While he began preparing a drink, she turned her back to him and looked at her friends. Aisha was pulling Trini's hand, probably trying to convince her of something, while Angela's head rested on her arms with her shoulders shaking with laughter. Tanya and Kat were pointing at Trini, speaking to her. Kim shook her head, grinning. She loved them all dearly, and she felt her heart constrict once more.

"_I don't want to be without them. They're my family,"_ she said to herself. Part of her begged herself to not take the position in Rome, but the other one advised her to go: it let them have a normal life without any more conflicts.

"Here you go," the bartender said, handing her the drinks and a tray.

"Thanks," she responded, and he smiled again.

She took the large tray and walked towards the table. Once seated, they all took their drinks and resumed their conversation.

"Can I try your drink, Kimmy?" Aisha asked. Kim nodded.

Taking a sip from the drink, Aisha grimaced. "What happened to the alcohol? Did you order one without?"

Kim shrugged, looking sheepishly at the glowing faces of her friends.

"Pinky, you're so lame," Aisha said.

"Well, somebody has to drive your ass back to the hotel," Kim answered, taking another sip from her drink.

"Well, Angela could have driven us. After all, she's in no condition to drink," Kat spoke, giving Kim a dirty look.

"Angela, I love you, but no one touches my baby."

"Oh, God! You're never going to let that go," Trini moaned.

The four other girls turned to her. "What happened?" Tanya inquired.

"Jason borrowed Kim's car two weeks after she got it, and managed to smash it into a wall," Trini explained.

"Oh, dear! Was he okay?" Kat asked.

"Yeah—his head is harder than my car. He managed to park it right into the wall of the parking garage in my building," Kim clarified.

"Oh, come on, Kim, it was only one time. You know he's a good driver!" Trini exclaimed, staring at her friend and defending her husband-to-be.

"He might be, but once is more than enough. No one touches my car, no exceptions," Kim declared.

A few hours after Kim and Tommy's blowout, Jason had returned to the hotel to find Tommy gazing out the window. Although Jason was in a better mood upon his return from the city, it had still taken the two of them an intense sparring session to go back to their regular selves. Now, all six men were sitting in Adam's car with Tommy behind the wheel, though the others had no clue where they were heading. The conversation had been entertaining, ranging from sports to women and naturally ending up with them discussing their past as Rangers.

Two hours later, after a heated debate of which Zord was cooler and sleeker, Tommy pulled the car into a deserted parking lot. They stepped out of the car, five of them wearing a puzzled expression. Tommy led the way through the massive gates of what seemed to be a stadium. They all walked in silence until a man stepped out from the shadows and called Tommy's name.

"Hey, Frank. How've you been?" Tommy asked, grabbing Frank's hand and giving it a sturdy shake.

"I'm good, doctor. Are these the guys you told me about?" He pointed at the five curious and slightly annoyed men.

"Yeah, these are my friends, Jason, Rocky, Billy, Adam and Zack. Guys, this is Frank, a friend of mine," Tommy announced.

"Nice to meet you, Frank. Now, Tommy, would you mind telling us what we're doing here?" Zack asked, stepping towards him.

"You'll find out soon enough. Just follow us," Tommy replied cryptically, grinning at his friends.

They walked in silence through rows of corridors, until they finally broke into the open and were blinded by the light. When their sight adjusted, five of the six former Power Rangers gasped in surprise. They were on a racing track, in the pit stop area.

"Tommy, my man, what the…?" Rocky began, only to be cut short when Frank and Tommy moved inside a dark garage. They heard a light switch being turned on, and all five were rendered speechless when they saw six cars being uncovered one by one. Neatly parked in the large garage were a white Masserati MC12, a burgundy Dodge Viper, a red Ford GT1, a green Nissan GT, a black BMW M3 GTR, and a blue Chevrolet Corvette C6R, all waiting to be taken on the track.

"Jason, I know what you wished for and I know this isn't exactly it, but it's the closest thing I could provide in such a short time," Tommy said, gripping Jason by the hand.

"Bro, you rule," Jason commented, his eyes sparkling with joy.

"Tommy, please tell me that this sweet little thing is your old racing car," Zack asked, bouncing around the white Masserati.

"Yeah, that's my old one," Tommy replied, brushing his fingers lovingly against its sides. "As you can see, it matches your color preferences," he went on, chuckling.

"Ah, Tommy, there's only one problem. Which one of the reds do I drive?" Rocky inquired, his face beaming with joy.

"I think I have dibs on this one, Rocko." Jason clapped him on the back.

"Hey, no fair. Why do you get to chose first?" Rocky asked, his hands outstretched and a small pout resting on his features.

"Because he's about to kiss his single life goodbye," Zack added, surveying his black BMW.

"And I'm the original Red," Jason added smugly, causing the others to laugh.

"Jase, choose your car," Tommy instructed.

He wasn't at all surprised when Jason moved towards the Dodge Viper. The others quickly followed as Frank walked back into the garage with protective gear. Half an hour later they were ready to go, with part of the crew briefing the former Rangers on the track and the other half of the crew wheeling the cars out into their starting positions.

Moving towards their cars, with their helmets under their arms and the crew following them, they all laughed and placed their bets on who would win.

"You do realize it's not fair that we're competing against you, right? I mean, after all, you used to drive those cars for a living," Billy said, looking at Tommy.

"And you want to tell me that, after piloting Zords on the planet and outside of it, you're afraid of me?" Tommy asked, chucking.

Once they were all settled in their cars, Zack was the first to speak. "This is awesome. It feels like I'm back in the Mastodon."

"Well, guys, good luck. It's morphing time," Jason's voice boomed through the intercom, making them laugh.

"Tommy, my man, prepare to get your ass kicked," Rocky said as the cars roared.

The boys raced each other for three hours straight, bickering and laughing, all of them with one thing on their minds. It was just like the old days. Through their intercom, the crew reminded them that they were on their last lap, with all six of them tied for first place and managing to bring in good time scores.

That evening they all cheered for Adam, who had come in first followed by Jason and Tommy.

"You're such a sore loser, Rocky," Zack said, his arm resting on Rocky's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah! I wasn't in good shape. Next time, I'll kick your ass," Rocky said, unfastening his helmet.

Cradled in between fluffy pillows and crisp sheets, Kim couldn't sleep. Although the evening spent with the girls had been fun, filled with jokes and amusing stories, she couldn't snap herself out of the state she was in. The conversation had shifted at one point from humorous stories to the wonderful life each of them now had with their significant other, and Kim felt lost and a bit frustrated. The only man that had managed to give her the feeling of being complete, just as the others had explained, was Tommy.

Yet now they were strangers, constantly fighting and unable to be around each other for more than a few minutes. She wished she could find somebody who would make her feel the way Tommy used to: special and beautiful. It pained her to think of the day she would leave, practically erasing her past life and, in doing so, probably the connection that she and Tommy had. All the years since they had been apart, in her darkest moments he still remained her White Knight. The mere memory of his face, his eyes, was able to pull her out of the darkest depths of despair—only for her to plunge into them again at the thought of no longer holding a place in his heart.

She shifted uncomfortably once again, adjusting her pillow and begging sleep to claim her. After all the excitement throughout the day, she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to rest. Right now, she wished she had shared a couple more drinks with the gang—maybe then, she would have been able to fall asleep along with the others. But Kim had never been a big drinker, knowing her limit well; she was afraid that intoxication might bring with it the loss of her control, leaving her vulnerable to making mistakes and disclosing secrets locked up in the depths of her soul. So she stayed away, drinking a cocktail or two and always with as little alcohol as possible.

After shifting for a few more minutes, she groaned in frustration and angrily threw the covers away from her body. She quickly climbed out of bed, looking for a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She retrieved a hoodie, put it on, then grabbed her yoga mat and her phone. Slipping out of her room, she made her way down the stairs to the lobby. On her way she passed Steve, the bellboy, and softly greeted him. Once outside the hotel, she walked towards the replica of Apollo's temple as fast as she could.

Perched on a high plateau, the temple towered over the landscape, overlooking the manmade lake, the forest, and the hotel. Since the moon shone so bright, Kim had no problem in finding a good spot. She unrolled the mat and spread it on the ground, facing the estate.

Sitting cross-legged, with her phone tucked away between her legs and her hands resting on her knees, she straightened her back and drew in deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing and clearing her mind. She wasn't at all surprised that she couldn't shake off the thoughts swimming in her mind, causing chaos. She tried again, moving her neck from side to side, while still focusing on her breathing.

Remembering the man that taught her the technique made her smile; she could clearly recall the timbre of his voice when he instructed her to free her mind, and the gentle way he used to look at her when she was frustrated over not being able to master what he had taught her.

Two years prior to Trini's and Jason's wedding, she had organized a ceremony for a Cambodian-American couple. Maly was Cambodian by birth, and had moved to New York in her late teens. The shy woman had come to like Kim and, during their many wedding related meetings, Maly had told Kim many things about Cambodia and its culture, urging the petite gymnast to visit.

One evening, several weeks after the wedding, Kim had brought up the subject over dinner with Adam. He had encouraged her to take the trip, nagging her for weeks to take a few weeks off and just leave. So she did, and in October of that year she boarded a plane with the destination of Siem Reap.

_Flashback_

It had been a nice few days for Kim. She had managed to go sightseeing, taste the exquisite cuisine, and even mix with the locals. After sleeping for twelve hours straight, she had gone out to the market, walked around, and enjoyed the excitement and the beautiful objects that merchants offered her.

That afternoon she was walking next to a small stand, looking at jewelry and colorful materials, when a woman approached her and spoke to her in Khmer. Confused, Kim tried to say that she couldn't understand her, but the woman kept pointing at her clothing and back at the small shop across the street. Seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere with Kim, she finally took her by the hand and led her back to the shop where she shoved Kim into a dressing room. Half an hour later, Kim walked out of the shop, a content smile on her face, wearing a light red robe that exposed one of her shoulders.

The first week went by in a blur, but Kim felt happy knowing that she had three more and that she would be able to go back to the Angkor Wat temple complex at least one more time. Evening was fast approaching, so she slipped into the robe she had purchased a few days before, loving the way the material clung to her body and kept her cool, and walked out of her hotel room.

She roamed the streets of Siem, never paying attention to the direction she was heading in. At one point, she found herself walking up the stairs leading to a small temple. She explored the area curiously, a bit puzzled to see that no one was around. The view from the temple was spectacular and she watched the sunset, mesmerized.

"Welcome to the temple, graceful one. I have been expecting you," a deep and melodic voice said. She turned swiftly towards it.

A short, elderly man was studying her. At her greeting he bowed, his palms pressed together and his shaved head glistening in the orange light.

"The crane has been in anguish for a long time. The time has come for her to rest," he continued, intently studying her reaction.

Kim froze the moment he mentioned the crane, her shocked face earning a chuckle from the elderly man.

"_What the…?"_ she thought, unconsciously, falling back into a defensive stance.

"Settle down, mistress of the sky; I am not your foe. The crane's call has been weak; I barely heard it, but I know that its wings have been clipped and its frame sunken in the valley of shadows. It was only a matter of time before you came to me," he said, slowly moving towards the temple as Kim followed him curiously. The monk's behavior and words were bizarre and a bit unnerving, yet she didn't detect a threat.

Stopping before the kneeling man, she watched him pour tea from a pot into two beautiful cups.

"How did you know?" she asked timidly.

"Sit, child. I shall explain and help you on your quest," he spoke, pointing at the tatami in front of him. Wordlessly she sat, her robe fanning around her delicately.

"Beautiful. Just the way I dreamt it," he murmured in awe.

Kim looked at him, surprised, raising her eyebrow as an amused smile graced her lips. "Who are you, and what is this all about?" she asked defensively, her eyes never leaving him.

He chuckled softly before speaking. "They were right; the lady of the sky is feisty. But the shadows linger in your eyes, tormenting the crane."

"No more riddles. Answer my questions," she bit back, her eyes shooting daggers.

" Very well. My name is Reit. I am the keeper of this temple," he said, pointing at the building they were in. "And guardian of the temple of light." His outstretched hand indicating a point outside the perimeter of the temple.

"The temple of light? I don't understand. Who are 'they' you speak of?" Kim went on.

"Many years ago you visited a similar temple. They of whom I speak are the Keeper of the Monolith and the Bearer of Power. Kimberly, a long time ago you knew both; they guided you on your journey to wield the great power," the monk explained, his face looking for a sign that she understood his cryptic explanation.

"_How does he know my name? The Keeper of the Monolith and Bearer of Power? Could it be?…Dulcea and Zordon,"_ she thought, her face beaming with joy as she realized that the monk knew her two mentors.

"I see you know of whom I speak of. The Keeper sent me a dream years ago. She showed me a struggling crane, her joyful call no more, her falcon absent," Reit explained, reading her face once more.

At the mention of the falcon, Kim's face fell and she quickly closed her eyes to compose herself. When she opened them again, she looked unfazed, but Reit saw her hands tremble when she brought the cup to her lips.

"Why hasn't your mate answered your agonized cry, my lady?" he asked, unsure if she would answer his question or just walk away. In his dream, the Keeper had told him that mentioning the falcon might scare away the crane.

"He isn't my mate anymore. How would he be able to hear, since I gave my power coin to my… replacement?" she asked, frowning.

"The coin is just a medium for the power. Even if it is passed on, the spirit will never change its chosen one. The spirit of the crane chose you, as it was always meant to be," he explained.

Kim swallowed hard, her eyes downcast and sad. Every time she remembered the moment she gave her power coin away, the moment she was replaced, she couldn't stop herself from feeling sad and a bit angry.

"This is not a place of sadness and rage, it is one of peace. I sense so much guilt, sadness, and anger. My lady, let go: free your crane and soar between the clouds once more," Reit went on, pouring them more tea.

"I can't. Too much has happened since I gave up my coin. I don't know how to let go," she explained, looking Reit in the eyes. "You said you can help me on my quest? But what am I looking for?"

"You seek three things, Ninjetti: peace, absolution, and your falcon," he said. Kim tensed a bit at the mention of her seeking Tommy.

"The last two, I can't give you—obtaining them is something you need to do on your own—but I can help you find peace," he explained.

Kim closed her eyes, fighting another wave of regret and guilt as she thought about Tommy. "How?" she asked plainly, her gaze refocusing on the monk.

"Close your eyes, graceful one; let your mind be free. Break the chains holding the crane in place and banish the darkness," he instructed, and she complied.

Over the course of those three weeks, Reit had taught Kim how to detach herself from the world around her, how to focus on the power still slumbering within her frame. Reit had explained that her past allowed her to come close to the Morphing Grid, tap into it and find comfort and solitude.

She had spent most of the time at the temple, where the monk coached or meditated with her. The only time they would take a break was when the need for food and sleep broke her concentration. On the eve of her departure, Kim walked back to the temple to thank him for his help. He, in turn, guided her deep into the forest, up onto a plateau overlooking the forest and city.

"High grounds are a portal to the sky. The crane will find its way easier there. Remember that when you want to meditate," he advised. They both sat side-by-side, meditating, as the sun descended, leaving a burning trail behind it. That evening, for the first time since she had given up her power coin, the call of the crane was heard once more as she broke free and flew into the dusk.

_End flashback_

Learning how to meditate and free her animal spirit had been the turning point for Kim. No longer did she suffocate under the burden of her emotions or her day-to-day challenges. Meditation was her way to let loose; yet, since she had stepped foot in Saratoga Springs, she found herself growing more and more anxious and less able to concentrate on one of her favorite activities. She was passing the first levels of meditation, but her mind would not slow down. Her emotions on high alert, and she felt so much anger. Her crane acted upon the multitude of these feelings, struggling and letting out piercing, angry cries.

After the boys returned from the racetrack, they had all agreed to go out for beers. Close to midnight, Zack had fallen asleep on the table and they had decided to call it a night. Several hours after going to bed, Tommy was still wide-awake, his mind working in overdrive. Every time he shifted and tried to get more comfortable, he would end up even tenser.

After they returned to the hotel, he and Jason had stayed up talking for a while, their miscellaneous conversation interrupted by Jason's phone. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but Jason wasn't particularly quiet from the get-go. A phrase struck him immediately—"Is she ok?"—but it wasn't necessarily the question that got him worried: it was the tone in which Jason asked, and the worried expression he wore at the end of the conversation. Jason brushed it off, trying to relax; but Tommy could see Jason's mind at work, the worry carved into his features.

Questions plagued him after he went to bed, hence not being able to fall asleep. The more he blocked Kim from his thoughts, the more worried he became, different scenarios coming to him with a vengeance.

Tommy climbed out of bed and headed towards the balcony, sliding the door open and walking into the cool night. Leaning against the railing, he surveyed the area, his eyes focusing on the temple of Apollo. Quietly he walked towards the edge of the balcony and looked at the figure sitting cross-legged. His eyes grew wide when he noticed who it was. _"Guess she couldn't sleep either,"_ he mused, his eyes glued to her face.

Bathing in the moon's rays she looked like a statue, her skin glowing, allowing him to notice the way her hair framed her face and the frown carved on her forehead. Although she seemed deep in meditation, her posture was tense. Tommy, drinking her in, couldn't take his eyes off of her. His observation came to halt, though, when he heard the faint cry of a bird.

Frowning, he turned around and surveyed the grounds; but, when the second cry didn't follow, he shrugged and turned to watch Kim once more. Minutes passed and Tommy's body tensed, his mind still wondering about the bird. The cry had seemed so familiar, yet he couldn't pinpoint it. As the bird cried again, this time more forcefully, Tommy jumped slightly, something in his soul deeply disturbed. The third time the bird cried, Tommy knew to whom it belong. The crane; his crane.

The cry echoed a fourth time, and he turned to watch Kim more carefully. She hadn't moved from her position, although her frown deepened and she seemed to be crying. He stumbled back, shaking his head and feeling like he would asphyxiate as the cry of the crane pierced his soul over and over. With a sigh, he eased himself into the recliner, his eyes still glued to her frame. It was only then when he noticed that his hands were shaking uncontrollably and that his breathing was labored. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to calm down and fall into a meditative state.

Slowly, all the nighttime noises that were so loud a second ago started to dim down; now, his somewhat even breathing was the only noise. The silence he was slowly sinking into came crashing down, however, the moment the crane cried angrily once again. He could see the graceful bird flying above him, circling him, her eyes blazing as a scream escaped her beak. It had been almost a decade since he'd seen the crane last, and he was hypnotized by her; but every time the voice of the bird broke through, he felt her sadness, her pain, in turn hurting him.

His eyes shifted, focusing on a white point that seemed familiar. The crane's circle expanded, including the point as well, and recognition dawned on Tommy when the crane plunged towards the speck of white. It was the falcon, his falcon—but it seemed trapped, struggling to free itself from the dark depths holding him down. The crane dove once more, the sound of her call ear-shattering, and the falcon struggled harder.

He snapped out of meditation with a scream, sweat trickling down his forehead and shoulder blades. He quickly sat up and walked towards the railing, observing Kimberly; watching over her, protecting her, just like his falcon used to.

Across the hall from Tommy's room, Adam awoke, startled, cold sweat running down the sides of his head and neck.

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><p><strong>AN. I would like to point out, that the story will not take any "Ranger" twist. I mentioned the animal spirits to underline the Kim/Tommy connection as well as the connection between the other Rangers. Please don't expect anything supernatural, because it's not going to happen :)**

**Until next time.**

**Cheers,**

**LT**


	4. The truth shall set you free

**Dear all, I apologise for the delay, but real life has caught up with me and I have found myself unable to concentrate on the story. This chapter, in my opinion is one that will answer a lot of questions. I really hope you will like it. **

**Special thanks goes out to my beta Anolinde, who took the time to read through it, correct it and give e her valuable opinion. Thank you so much :)**

**Finally, this chapter is dedicated to my dear friend A., who has been through hell over the past couple of years, but always managed to come out on top of her game. **

**Read, enjoy and if you feel like it comment :))**

**xoxo LT**

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><p><strong>The truth shall set you free<strong>

She covered all imaginable aspects of the wedding, triple checked everything, even went so far as to pitch in on the decorating process, in a desperate attempt to keep her mind and hands occupied. By late afternoon she was exhausted but determined not to slow down, knowing all too well that resting would inevitably mean a breakdown. That luxury she couldn't afford with the wedding less than twenty-four hours away.

Tommy had been spending most of his day in the company of Billy, Kat, Zack and Angela. They had taken it upon themselves to keep Tommy away from Kim as much as possible—never mind from Rocky, Adam, and Trini, who wanted nothing more than to shred the former leader of the Power Rangers. No one mentioned the incident, although deep inside they all felt sorry for both Tommy and Kim.

The rehearsal dinner had been a success, and Kimberly was beaming with pride. Throughout the evening she and Tommy had been forced to engage in minimal conversation, due to their roles: Tommy as the best man and Kim as the maid of honor and planner. Yet they had managed to behave civilly, their eyes never meeting, their words polite. The first time the former lovers had spoken, the others had had to fight the urge to step in between the two. Adam and Rocky were hovering in their vicinity, ready to intervene at any given moment; but the much-anticipated collision never materialized, and the gang began to relax gradually.

The evening was rapidly approaching its end, and Kim felt the need to slip away from the cheery crowd. She snuck through the darkened building, still hearing the chatter coming from the outdoor pavilion, until she found the dark and cozy study. Quietly she slipped inside, closing the massive oak doors and sinking into the leader couch. She slowly massaged her temples, her body turned slightly towards the door she had slipped through.

Closing her eyes, she sighed, tears building up behind her lids. Today had been too much to handle and she felt like exploding. Wearing this mask of joy and contentment was exhausting, and being near him all evening had practically killed the last shreds of control and stability she possessed. Although she was glad that wedding would be over in less than a day, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness bubbling up inside her. It would be the last time she would be with her friends; the last time she would be one of them.

Kim had no doubt in her mind that once she left America, she would become a mere acquaintance to her friends. Maybe not to Jason, Trini and Adam, but she was sure she would be for the others. She loved them all, her weird, crazy family, but she had always believed that distance did not, in fact, make the heart grow fonder; in her experience it was quite the opposite. Truth be told, Kimberly Ann Hart was afraid: frightened of leaving her life and her friends, and terrified of being alone.

"_I'm afraid to end up like he said I would."_ She thought about it. Her brows furrowed and she had to fight the urge to cry once more.

"You know, you could just talk to him and get this out once and for all," Adam Park spoke, his frame leaning against the antique cabinet next to oak door.

"Of course, frog-boy, and he would forgive, kiss and marry me and we would both live happily ever after." Kim snorted, her eyes still closed.

"You never know—fairytale endings have always been your area of expertise. And, just so you know, sarcasm won't get you anywhere and it won't drive me away, Kimmy," he said, smiling slightly.

"How can I help you, Adam?" she asked, her eyes meeting his darkened form.

"Help me? Short stuff, I'm here to see if you're okay. We've been worried sick all day: you were practically one step away from a burnout, never stopping for more than five minutes. Plus, I felt you last night. Your crane was not a happy bird," he continued, chuckling softly. He pushed himself away from the cabinet, his arms still crossed over his chest, and moved towards her.

She followed his movements, her face unreadable in the dim light filtering through the curtains.

"Adam, I'm fine, really. You know better than anybody else that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and last night..." she said, shrugging, her voice laced with annoyance.

"I know that, but I also know that no one can push your buttons the way Tommy can. Not to mention that I know what happens when you're pushed too far," he answered, pulling up a chair from nearby and sitting down with his arms resting on the back of the chair.

"Don't go there, Adam, please. Not tonight, at least," she begged, her face turning away from him.

"Kim, running away will not fix this. Italy won't bring you closure and it sure as hell won't bring you any relief," he told her, feeling her conflicted emotions echoing inside him through their Ninjetti link.

"Running away is the only thing that I have left, Adam. I love you guys, more than my own life, but right now if I don't leave I'll self-destruct. I'm having a hard time controlling my demons, staying here longer, his hate basically tearing at me; I won't be able to help myself anymore." She sighed, covering her face with her palms. "I'm terrified of not telling him, Adam, but I'm even more scared of telling him and seeing the way he'll react."

"I'm confused. Why are you afraid of not telling him?" he asked, puzzled. He was trying to read something from her posture, since her face lay hidden from his view.

"If I don't tell him we'll never be able to be civil, and consequently our friends will have to take sides. I hate this, and I also know that you, Trini and Jason, bear a heavy burden that I forbid you to share with anybody. My past actions put you through hell, and I'm sorry for that, Adam." She trailed away, her eyes now boring into Adam's, her cold hand resting on his warm one.

"For the love of God, stop being absurd. Yeah, we all went through a rough patch with you, and yes, it wasn't particularly easy… but hell, Kim, you're family and we love you. You were there for all of us countless times, Kim. Our only regret is that we weren't there for you sooner. We wanted to help you; no one forced us," Adam said, frustrated that Kim was trying to push him away.

"But what if I end up like he said? Alone?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her pain and fear weighed heavily upon his heart.

"Kimmy, you won't. Trust me, there is too much good and love in you for you to end up alone," he replied, hating Tommy even more for being able to hurt her like that and so easily undermine the last of her confidence.

She leaned forward and grasped his hand, her fingers tracing lazy patterns as a ghost of a smile tugged at her lips. "You're right, I won't end up like he said. I'm more of a dog person, anyway, cats only cause trouble; and I'll definitely have a house, not an apartment." She giggled, causing Adam to chuckle and shake his head. "Thank you Adam," she said, looking down at their intertwined fingers.

"Don't mention it. You know I'm here for you," he replied, softly kissing the back of her hand.

She gave him a shy smile, and he held on to her fingers a bit longer. Eventually deciding to give her some space, he walked slowly towards the door and closed it securely behind him.

Once outside of the room, Adam, deep in thought, made his way towards the rest of the merry group. Passing through the den, he saw Tommy sitting on the lavish couch, his head bowed. Adam stopped in his track, looking at his friend and observing his even breathing. He passed determinedly in front of him and said, "She's in the study. Don't mess it up."

With those words he walked out of the room, leaving a stunned Tommy behind.

Tommy's mind was running a million miles per hour, though his chin was still resting on crossed palms. There had been no more conflicts between him and Kimberly; but the tension was still there, simmering below the surface. Throughout the day, he had watched her put her mask on. She seemed perky and happy, but he knew her better. Her tense posture and the way she nervously bit her lip told him more than words could have. To top it all off, he had a hard time controlling himself, but this time it wasn't because of anger or resentment.

The outfit she had worn in the morning, a silk emerald colored blouse and a tight pencil skirt with high heeled pumps, elongating her beautiful legs, had almost brought him to his knees. He had to fight the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her plum lips. Every time he gazed at her gorgeous face or smelled her discreet perfume, he had to pinch himself so that he wouldn't give in to his urges.

He stood up and, with a determined posture, walked towards the library and Kim. Quietly he opened up the wooden doors and slipped into the dim room.

"Adam, for the love of God, I won't cut myself again, okay?" Kim snapped, only to swallow her words when she saw a silhouette well known to her. Her heart skipped a beat, only to begin racing uncontrollably when she saw his expression. The light filtering from the garden illuminated his stern face.

"What did you say?" he asked, his voice low and a worried frown marking his forehead.

"Er… Nothing. It was a joke," she replied, her voice betraying the lie.

In a few strides, he had switched the light on and reached the low leather couch. He stood in front of her, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He could read her like a book and, at that moment, he could tell she was scared of him.

Pulling up the chair that Adam had left behind, he eased himself onto it and swiftly grabbed her arm, yanking at the sleeve of her blouse.

"Tommy, what are you doing? Let go of me!" she demanded, her voice still trembling.

She tried to pull away, but he didn't allow it. His fingers traced delicately over the white skin, cringing when he recognized the faded scars. Panic and anger gripped him, and he lifted his gaze from her arm to meet her wide eyes.

"Why?" he choked out.

His words snapped her out of her daze. She pulled herself from his grip, jumping to her feet and walking towards the window, determined to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Why?" he pressed.

"It's none of your business, Tommy," she replied. Her voice was steady now, her composure safely in place.

"It is my damn business, Kim. Your safety has always been," he retorted angrily.

She didn't want to have this conversation, just like she had never wanted him to know about the cutting. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards him, her arms crossed over her chest and her voice now controlled. She looked at him, and his face knocked the breath out of her; her heart ached to reach out to him.

"Tommy, why are you here? What do you want from me?"

"I heard about the promotion and wanted to congratulate you on it. You've worked hard and deserve it. Those people in Rome don't know how lucky they are to have you," he answered, his gazed fixed on a point close to her head. He didn't dare meet her eyes.

When at last he felt in control, he looked at her. He saw her doe eyes, pained and sad, and he wanted nothing more to pull her in his arm and kiss the sadness away, holding her until she ceased to suffer.

His even tone and words were like whips slashing through her heart. _"He went from hate to indifference. God, our love used to be stronger than anything else in this world. Now, there's nothing, just memories,"_ she thought, her petite head turning so he couldn't see the tears threatening to spill.

"Thank you, Tommy." She choked out, hugging herself in a desperate attempt to regain her composure.

"I also wanted to apologize for the things I said to you at the restaurant. I was out of line and had no right to offend you. I'm sorry…" He trailed away.

She could feel warmth in his apology. This time, it wasn't hollow. The tightness in her chest loosened a bit, allowing her to breathe easier.

"I'm sorry for the way I reacted yesterday, Tommy. I know you just wanted to help me, but I was mad and you were in the line of fire," she said, looking at him. Her face was sincere, yet guarded.

Silence engulfed the room, neither of them knowing what to say or do. Sensing that she wouldn't speak anytime soon, Tommy tried to muster the courage to ask her about the cutting and what she had been up to for the past ten years.

"You were right."

Her soft words startled him, and he let his gaze travel over her small frame. She was trembling, her face barely composed.

"I do run away when it gets rough. Let's talk—I owe you an explanation," she began, her hands behind her back and nervously stroking her arms. She didn't want him to see her actions; she knew he might press her about her cutting, and she wasn't quite ready to tell him about that.

"Kim you don't owe me anything. I would like to know why, but—"

"Please, Tommy, this is long overdue. Let's just get it over with," she interrupted, walking towards her previous sitting place.

He watched her every move, making her all of a sudden self-conscious, so she opted against sitting in front of him and instead perched herself on the armrest. Nervously she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, her gaze downcast. Swallowing thickly, she finally met his concerned and worried eyes. His intense gaze startled her, causing her to look at her fingers instead. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"When I left for Florida, after Christmas, I was sad about leaving you—but at the same time I felt blessed and fortunate to have such a wonderful boyfriend, who loved me unconditionally; great friends; and the ability to pursue a lifelong dream. I knew that, after I was done with the Games, I would come home and build new dreams with you," she began, her fingers twitching and her posture tense.

He nodded, his heart constricting at the thought of the future they could have had—of the ring he had planned to buy and give her after the Games.

"Training was hard. At one point I started feeling unwell, nauseous, and sometimes dizzy—but I thought I was coming down with something, so I didn't pay too much attention to it," she explained, now looking at him properly, her voice stronger. "One evening, my teammates and I were having a small get-together in our common kitchen and the girls were gossiping about who had hooked up with whom. They started talking about a gymnast who had become pregnant. They were describing certain symptoms and, when I started thinking about it, I realized that I was late and that some of the symptoms fit."

"Were you...?" he asked, swallowing, his voice laced with worry and pain.

She nodded, her hands resting in her lap. "I was scared, conflicted and somehow really happy. I wanted to give you a family, but we were seniors, too young and not ready for a kid. I didn't know if I should keep the baby or get an…abortion." Kim said, a guilty and sad expression plastered on her beautiful features.

"A child..." His voice was wistful.

"I wanted to tell you and see how things went from, but you were busy with the rangers and we constantly missed each other." She explained, the tears threatening to spill. She swallowed them back down, taking another shaky breath, avoiding his gaze this time. She was too embarrassed to look him in the eyes while she told him; she was afraid to see the hate and disgust in his chocolate orbs.

A deep frown marked his features, and his mind was starting to form a picture of what had occurred almost a decade ago. Dread gripped him, and part of him screamed to stop her before she spoke.

"When couch noticed that I was unwell at times, I told him that I was coming down with something and he took it easier with training. One night, to clear my head, I went back to the gym, hoping that empty room and the beam could provide the answer I was looking for. We hadn't spoken in a while, I was tiered, stressed, and I just couldn't decide what to do. I wasn't sleeping too well either, so during an easy routine I lost my footing and fell off the beam. At that point I went back to my dorm to get some rest." She sniffled, tears prickling at her eyes. She was too scared to look at him; instead, she focused on the light filtering through the curtains. "Severe cramps woke me a few hours later and, when I pulled the covers aside, I saw the blood," she said, her voice trembling as small tears escaping her eyes. She angrily brushed them aside, her little hands balled into fists.

Tommy instinctively reached out to her, but she drew back. He wanted to pull her in his arms and let her grieve properly, to mourn their unborn child.

"There was so much blood, Tommy. Melissa, a teammate, found me the next morning in the shower crying. She took me to a doctor outside of the training camp and the obstetrician confirmed the miscarriage. She told me that I was irresponsible for training, that I had put my baby and myself at risk. I knew that training wasn't good, but at the same time I couldn't just tell my couch I was pregnant and stop training altogether, since I didn't know I was keeping it or not." Telling him this, after all these years, still filled her with regret, guilt, and an unimaginable amount of pain. But she had promised to tell him everything, and she wouldn't stop now. Tommy had the right to know why she had written him that letter and caused him so much pain.

"Why didn't you come home?" he asked softly, his voice hoarse.

"Coach gave me a few days off, and I wanted to come home, but I was scared. I was such a mess, you were calling, my coach was expecting so much of me. Melissa gave me a message from you a few days later. You told me that you missed me and loved me," she said, smiling sadly as she looked timidly at him. "I realized what I had actually done: I had killed your child."

"You hadn't done anything wrong Kim. Miscarriages happen, it's not your fault." Tommy stepped in, reaching out to her, but stopping himself before he could touch her.

"Yes, it is Tommy! Instead of giving you the family you always wanted, my desire to pursue the Pan Globals took away something that was so important to you. I felt so guilty and hated myself for what I did, so I wrote the letter and lied, setting you free so you could be with a woman who wouldn't put her selfish desires before a family."

"Kim, your 'selfish desire' were the Pan Globals and after that the Olympics. You worked your butt off for that for as long as I have known you, to get there. Love, it is normal to have such dreams and once again, the miscarriage wasn't your fault. And the letter…" Tommy soothed, his voice filled with emotions. The inflow if information was overwhelming, yet he couldn't feel any anger towards Kim and what had happened.

"I knew I was breaking your heart with the letter, but believe me, every word I wrote tore me apart." She cried softly, her hands trembling. Swallowing hard, trying to keep more tears from falling, she spoke once more. "Part of me was relieved when you didn't demand further explanation, but the other part hated you for not asking. I knew that if you had called or come for me, I would not have been able to lie." She said, and her voice was thick with sorrow.

"Kimberly…" He reached out again and this time he touched her shoulder, wanting to comfort her.

Her head shot up from behind her hands, pulling away from his palm.

"Don't, Tommy! I know what I did, and I know that once you start processing what I've just told you come to see that this whole mess is my fault." she said angrily, removing her tears from her cheeks.

"Kim, I'm so sorry," he said, his warm hands resting on her knees.

"Why are you sorry for? Jesus Tommy, have you heard one thing I've told?" she asked, her eyes blazing.

"I did, and I'm sorry I didn't question your decision. I should have suspected that there was something that prompted you to write the letter. I guess my judgment was clouded," he said, leaning closer, invading her personal space.

Tommy's eyes were so full of compassion, and concern for her, that she momentarily forgot what they were talking about, or that they had been apart for almost a decade. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his thumb caressing her cheek.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through this and that I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry for not fighting for you. But Kim, how on Earth did you think I would hate you for something like that? Good Lord, Kim, I told you already, these things happen," he explained, his hands never breaking contact with her face, her breath coming in short pants, causing goosebumps to erupt on his skin.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you talk to me after the whole Muranthias incident?" he continued, feeling the swift rise of anger in his chest. When she didn't respond, her face now blank he felt his anger being fueled, sensing that she didn't understand that he felt no anger towards her for what had happen, for loosing their child. The former Ranger felt even angrier with himself for not being able to get through to her.

"I wanted to, I really did… but you had moved on, and I didn't want to destroy what you had built. I had no right," she spoke, her voice quiet, detecting the raw pain and anger in his questions.

"That's why you left right after the tournament?" he asked, inching closer to her.

She nodded, sitting on the edge of the table and hugging herself.

"You shouldn't have. Maybe we wouldn't be in this situation right now…" He trailed away, one hand on his hip while the other ran through his hair.

"What difference would it have made, Tommy? You were happy, just like you were supposed to be and I…" she began, annoyed by his pestering—but she never got to finish the sentence.

"Are you fucking nuts, Kim? Seeing you trapped, lowered into a volcano, and turned evil—and not being able to save you—practically killed me. Here's a newsflash for _you_, Kim: I wasn't happy. I hadn't moved on, I was still fucking in love with you. Do you know how much I hurt Kat after the whole Divatox disaster? I couldn't bring myself to love her the way she deserved. If you had come clean, then we could have turned out differently. I would have let Kat be happy with somebody else, instead of giving her hope for years and tormenting her with my inability to love her," he yelled, his posture radiating anger and hurt.

"How was I supposed to know, Tommy, hm? After we broke up, I got an angry letter from Kat, calling me all sorts of names, and angry letters from the others. By the time Jason and I were captured, I hadn't spoken to any of them in ages. I wasn't aware that you weren't as fine as you seemed. I'm not fucking psychic, Tommy," she screamed, her petite hands balled into fists.

"Wait, you lost contact with the others after we broke up?" His voice was laced with concern and surprise.

"Yes. Adam's words were the hardest to digest. I didn't know that he was the one who opened and read the letter out loud. He stopped calling and writing after that. Rocky was a bit more persistent, demanding an explanation; but he, like Adam, broke contact soon after. The only one who… who was there for me was Jason, and later on Trini," she spoke, her voice a bit above a whisper.

"Were you and Jason..?" he asked through clenched teeth. Although his best friend was about to be married to Trini, he couldn't help but feel jealous of him.

Her eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously. He could feel her anger, their connection vibrating with her rage. "Please tell me you're joking." she said, pushing herself off the table and closing in on him.

He squirmed uncomfortably, avoiding her piercing gaze. "When you two showed up together, then basically left together, I thought you had moved on with him."

"Jason is more of a brother to me than my own, and our relationship was and always will be strictly platonic. How can you even ask something like that? You know him, he's your best friend; God damn it, you know me," she said, the hurt vibrating in her voice.

"I was hurting, Kim. I hadn't seen you in months and the next thing I know, you're back in town with Jason. You guys have always been close, and in my mind it seemed like you only got _closer_," he explained, a hint of irritation flashing across his face. Every time he remembered what had happened, his brain refused to register that Jason and Kim were only friends.

"I was going through hell, Tommy. Jason was the only one that I had. If it hadn't have been for him, I would have been six feet under right now," she bit back angrily, outraged by his accusation.

Almost immediately she scolded herself, frustrated that she had given so much away.

Startled, he searched her features, trying vainly to understand her words. Her expression was once again guarded and composed. "What happened after the letter, Kim?"

Turning her face away from his, she let out a shaky breath and wetted her lips. Tommy had to keep his arms crossed on his chest in order to restrain himself from scooping her up and hugging her.

"Coach called me into his office and persuaded me not to give up my dream because of a miscarriage. In spite of the fact that gymnastics had stopped bringing me joy, I agreed and trained harder than ever, just to keep my mind off of you and our child," she explained, her voice lifeless. "I won six medals, but Jason was the only one who came to see me. I wasn't surprised, since you guys were all beyond pissed with me—and Trini and Zack couldn't even make it, due to the conference—but I was hurt and angry with my friends," she told him.

He nodded and she went on.

"Jason knew about the breakup and he was concerned, but he didn't ask questions; he just offered a shoulder I could cry on. After he left and the Games were done, I had endorsement deals, interviews, and TV appearances. Coach tried to push me to go to the Olympics, but I declined," she explained, rubbing her forearms nervously—something that did not go unnoticed by Tommy.

Grabbing the bull by its horns, he asked, "What about the cutting?"

Startled, she met his gaze. It was then that she realized she wouldn't be able to walk away from this conversation. Tommy was determined to get the full story.

She shifted, biting her lip nervously. Her eyes closed as she attempted to muster all the courage to tell him what she had been through.

"I was a mess after the Games, drifting aimlessly, drowning in guilt. Sleeping had become a nightmare. I would force myself to stay awake, just not to dream again. A teammate of mine gave me some sleeping pills, allowing me to rest without dreams for a few hours," she explained, feeling the tension rolling off of him. "I couldn't get myself out of bed in the morning, and even when I did, the drowsiness wouldn't go away. The same girl that gave me the sleeping pills handed me some sort of medication to help me wake up and stay alert. I was hooked on both shortly after I started taking them."

"Are you nuts? Drugs, Kimberly?" Tommy scolded her, his temper rising once more.

"I agree, it was stupid."

"That's an understatement," he said, frowning at her.

"I guess I was depressed, only I didn't realize that until much later. I started losing weight, and one point the pills weren't strong enough to help me sleep." She shrugged, her voice tired.

"Please tell you didn't take something stronger," Tommy inquired, dreading her possible response.

Kim shook her head. "No, although I considered it. Before I could do anything stupid, Jason showed up on my doorstep. He didn't say anything, just proposed that we should go back to Angel Grove and help out with the shelter, and he didn't take 'no' for an answer. Next thing I know, we're trapped in a submarine and lowered in a volcano. While on the submarine, Jason started asking questions and I came clean about everything, except my developing addictions to sleeping pills and amphetamines. He urged me to talk to you and I agreed, but when I saw you with Kat..." she trailed off, not bothering to finish the sentence after seeing the hurt flash across his face.

"I presume you went back to Florida after the tournament?" he asked, moving away from her, needing to put some distance between them so he could compose himself. He walked towards the large armchair and sat down, facing the desk she had sat on earlier.

She felt his conflicting emotions and his desire to put space between them, but she couldn't stand not seeing his face, his eyes; so she walked towards him and resumed her old position on the desk. "I did, but I left Florida for New York about a week after when my grandmother passed away. Things started going from bad to worse, since I wasn't exactly emotionally stable at the time, and I needed to take care of the funeral," she said, picking up the letter opener from the desk and toying with it.

"Couldn't your brother take care of it?" he asked, compassion heavy in his voice.

She shook her head and replied, "He was in Paris, visiting my mother. My dad wasn't around, obviously, and Jason went MIA on me for about half a year."

"He was recovering from the effects of the Golden Ranger power," Tommy explained, studying her closely.

"I know; he told me a few years after. Let's just say he didn't repeat the same mistake twice. The moment you called him for the Red Mission he told me." She chuckled, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I don't even want to know what you put him through." He laughed, scooting closer to her. "So you took care of the funeral arrangements and stayed in New York?"

"I inherited her New York apartment and her summer home in Martha's Vineyard, along with a substantial amount of money, so I decided to stay and apply to NYU for a business degree. My studies became my prime focus, and it seemed that I was slowly getting better, although I still had a hard time sleeping," the original Pink Ranger explained.

Silence engulfed them; Tommy didn't dare speak and Kim was trying to regain her composure. The seconds stretched and Tommy pressed gently. "Kim..."

She finally spoke, her voice broken as she gazed out the window. "Everything went out the window one December morning when I was walking around Central Park. I saw a little girl falling off a nearby bench, her mother tending to a crying baby in a stroller. She looked at me with those beautiful brown eyes, and something in me snapped. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that little girl and the guilt was suffocating. Later, while cooking, I accidentally cut myself and, in some inexplicable way, the physical pain soothed my emotional one. At that moment, I felt better than I had in months."

"Why didn't you seek help?" Tommy asked, concerned.

"Because the cutting seemed to help and I didn't see it as something that bad. Every time I cut myself I felt in control."

"I don't understand," he said, leaning forward so he could see her, read her better.

"I was in control again, when for such a long time the pain and the guilt had controlled me. In a way, it felt like I was purging the sorrow out of my soul. After each cutting session I felt better, I could go on for a while. Cutting became a habit, along with wearing long-sleeved garments." She chuckled humorlessly.

"You should have spoken to somebody, anybody, about this, Kim," Tommy pressed, his fingers lacing together and resting under his chin.

"The cavalry arrived a few months later," she said, cocking an eyebrow in amusement, finally meeting his gaze.

His puzzled expression brought a smile to her lips. "When Zordon died, Jason and Trini, who were back in the States to resume their studies, visited me in New York."

_Flashback_

Waking up with a groan, Jason searched for his digital clock to see what time it was. Upon seeing that it was only two in the morning, he tried to understand the sinking feeling rooted deep in his stomach. Swinging his legs out of bed, he decided to go in search for an aspirin to calm his pounding headache. Paddling down the hall towards the kitchen, he absentmindedly rubbed his face. It had been a rough two days for him and the two women whom, he presumed, were slumbering. They had just found out that their mentor had passed away, and they'd spent the evening drowning their sorrows in massive amounts of vodka and tequila.

Opening the refrigerator, he found a water bottle and gulped down half of it in one sip. He then made his way towards Kim's bathroom to find some aspirin. Without bothering to knock, he swung the door open. The bright light blinded him for a second, but when his eyes adjusted he was petrified by what he saw. Leaning against the toilet, facing the door, Kimberly was pressing a blade against her forearm. Tears were streaming down her face.

Jason dropped the bottle he was holding and it caused Kim to look up.

"Jason…" she said, her eyes wide with fear.

In a flash he lunged forward, yanking the knife out of her hand and throwing it against the wall. She was too surprised to react, so he used those seconds to open her medicine cabinet and look for the disinfectant and some clean bandages. Sinking in front of her, he began cleaning her wounds. At first he was happy to see that they weren't deep—but then, he recognized faded ones.

His hand stopped in mid-air, his eyes lifting from her arm to meet hers. They were wide, red and puffy from crying.

"How long?" he asked through greeted teeth.

"Jason, I…" she began.

"How long, Kimberly?" he asked again, restraining the anger he felt.

"Since my grandmother passed away," she replied weakly.

"Why?" he pressed, resuming his activity.

"Because it was the only way to feel something else besides guilt and pain. It was the only way to cope, I was alone, and this helped," she said evenly.

"Why didn't you talk to anybody about this?" he asked, his jaw tight, fingers trembling as he tended to her wounds.

"To whom, Jason? It wasn't like I could open up about this to anyone," she replied weakly.

"God damn it, Kimberly, you should have come to me," he said angrily, his fury getting the better of him.

_End Flashback_

"I'm surprised Jason didn't strangle you," Tommy said, swallowing hard as he thought of the emotional turmoil Jason had to go though upon learning Kim's secret.

"Oh, he did something worse than that: he told Trini." the petite gymnast said, a wry smile clinging to her lips. "Soon after, Jason transferred from UCLA to NYU and moved in with me. Two months later, Trini transferred to Columbia and moved in as well. They were on a constant Kimberly watch, never allowing me to cut myself. Trini was acting as my own personal shrink, while Jason kept tabs on me. I relapsed a couple of times, but they were patient with me."

Running his fingers through his hair, still digesting the information, Tommy asked, "Who else knows about this?"

"Only Adam, and awhile later Tanya—but I think Trini spoke to Aisha about it as well, and Rocky suspects something. They've never asked, though, and I never volunteered to tell them."

"Why?"

"It was bad enough that others knew. I didn't need more lecturing, since at that point I didn't see it as a problem and it was more of my business than anyone else's." She shrugged, squirming under his intense scrutiny.

"What about Adam? Did you tell him?" he pressed.

She shook her head and continued. "I graduated from NYU and had started my internship at a local company when I ran into Adam by accident. My boss landed a large-scale event with NY Memorial, and I had to talk to one of our contacts, who turned out to be none other than Adam."

_Flashback_

Wearing her black knee-length pencil skirt, a pair of high heels and a navy blue, long-sleeved blouse, Kimberly made her way towards the office where she was meant to meet her contact; a certain Mr. Park.

Knocking confidently, she was called inside by a muffled voice. Taking a deep breath and holding the folder against her chest, Kimberly walked in with a tense smile on her face.

"Mr. Park, I'm Kimberly Hart with…" she began, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw the man sitting behind a heavy desk.

Wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck was none other than Adam Park, the former green and black Power Ranger.

"Adam… Hi!" she said weakly, not daring to move from the door. She remembered the angry letter he had sent her years ago, and she didn't know if he still resented her.

"Hello, Kimberly," he greeted politely, yet with a cold demeanor.

"It's good to see you. Wow, you're a cardiologist; congratulations!" she said.

"Thank you—though, I'm just a resident," he supplied in the same fashion.

"You look good, Adam," she murmured. The tension between them was thick in the air.

"Thank you. So do you," he replied politely.

Silence engulfed them as they stared at each other. Finally, Kimberly exhaled loudly and stepped forward.

"Okay, let's cut the crap. It's obvious that you're still mad at me for the letter, and I can't do a damn thing about it. Let's just get this thing rolling and then I can get out of here and you can go back to being mad at me, okay?" she said in a harsh tone, pulling the chair in front of him and laying her folder down. She opened it in one swift movement, not at all looking at him.

"Good. Let's just get this done already," he bit back.

"Here's the room style for the conference in the venue your superiors agreed on. You can fit around three thousand people in this one, although there are more rooms that can—"

"How could you do something so heartless and cruel to him?" he angrily interrupted her.

Shuffling through her papers, still not looking at him, Kimberly went on. "There are more rooms that can accommodate another max of two thousand people. There are about a dozen breakout room for you, also, and we've installed tables for coffee, pastries and refreshments in the lobby—"

"I have a right to know why you did this to the man you claimed to love, the man who was my leader, but more importantly one of my closest friends." Adam stopped her again, even angrier that she was avoiding his inquiries.

Abruptly closing her folder, Kimberly looked up at him.

"Why Tommy and I broke up is none of your damn business, Adam. It's between him and me, nobody else. Get over it, it was in high school, and he's moved on. So have I and so should you," she replied, her words simmering with fury.

"It is my business, since I was the one that had to read the letter to him in front of the others, right there in the Youth Center. In the damn Youth Center, Kimberly. How could you be so cold?" he asked.

"How was I supposed to know that you would be the one to read it out loud instead of him. The letter was for him and he should have been the one to read it in private." She argued, her anger spiking.

"You sent it at the Youth Center Kim, not at his home. You should have considered it to turn out ugly the moment you sent it there." Adam replied harshly

Without a word she stood up, collected the folder and walked towards the door. Her hand was about to grab the doorknob when Adam grabbed her roughly and pulled her back. Pain shot through her arm when his grip squeezed her fresh cuts and she winced, an action that did not go unnoticed by the former Black Ranger.

He furrowed his brow in confusion and squeezed her again, this time harder. She yelped in pain and he drew her closer, lifting the sleeve of her blouse. Seeing the cuts caused him to take a step back.

"Kimberly, did you do this to yourself?" he asked quietly, his expression disturbed.

_End Flashback_

"Later that evening, he came by my place to meet up with Jason and Trini. I assume they told him what happened after I went to bed. After that, Adam joined the 'watch Kim' squad."

"Please tell me you stopped after Adam found out?" he asked, more disturbed with every spoken word.

He could never have imagined that his Beautiful had had it so rough. He didn't know what to tell her, or what to expect next. Every time he thought the worst had passed, Kim dropped another bomb on him. Although her words were tearing him apart, her pain was obviously still such a big part of her life; he was determined to find out everything.

"No. It was a roller coaster of emotions. Some days I was fine, others a mess. I was at least starting to sleep better, although in the beginning it was hard. Trini found my sleeping pills and my other drugs a few weeks after she moved in. When she threw them away, I nearly lost it; the insomnia almost put me into the hospital. But somehow those two helped me get over it. My last major incident was after you were done with your racing career."

He frowned and she sighed, making herself more comfortable on her ottoman.

"Jason let it slip that you had gone into racing after you retired. On my way back to New York from a business trip, I had a layover in Detroit."

_Flashback_

"_Shit, shit, shit, I hate this airport,"_ Kimberly thought while she struggled to make her way through the arrivals gate and towards her check-in. She looked around the airport as she pulled her suitcase along, hoping to see a sign that would direct her to her destination. Her gaze landed on a figure she immediately recognized. Her heart began beating rapidly and she had to swallow the lump in her throat. He looked breathtaking, his hair as long and beautiful as she remembered it. She could only see his profile, as he was looking towards the arrival exit she had come from.

"Tommy!" she heard, and she turned to see the source. It was a tall, blonde, busty woman with regal features. Her clothing looked expensive, and so did the sunglasses she was pushing up with one hand. The other hand was holding a little boy, no older than four. The woman ran towards Tommy and jumped into his arms, kissing him passionately—with him returning the kiss. When they broke away, Tommy lifted the little boy in his arms, a bright smile on his face. The boy giggled and molded his tiny body against Tommy's, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Mortified, Kim watched the scene unfold, hardly even realizing that she was crying uncontrollably. Her vision blurred, Kim ran towards her check-in and her plane.

****

She wearily pushed the key to her apartment in the lock, turning it and opening the door. Inside, Trini's cheerful voice announced that dinner was almost done and that Adam was joining them. Kimberly faked happiness and made her way towards her room. Discarding her suitcase, she slipped into something more comfortable and then lay down on her bed, the image from the airport playing in her head over and over again like a broken record.

"_He's married, he has a child, he's happy. Oh, God! It should have been me!"_ she thought, sobbing softly.

Adam arrived at the apartment a few hours later and they all enjoyed a quiet dinner, chatting and laughing. She forced herself to laugh at all the jokes, to comment and act perky—but she spaced out sometimes, and her laughter never reached her eyes.

"Guys, I'm beat. If you don't mind, I'm going to grab a shower and go to bed," she said, lifting herself from the armchair she had occupied for most of the evening.

"Sure thing, Kimmy," Jason said.

"But you didn't have dessert," Trini spoke, getting up and walking towards the kitchen.

"Save a piece for me, Tri, I'll eat it tomorrow. Thank you for coming, Adam," she said, hugging him. "Good night, everyone."

She padded towards the bathroom and locked the door.

Trini emerged from the kitchen a good twenty-five minutes later, holding two plates.

"Did you eat all the cake by yourself?" Jason joked, grabbing his desert.

"No, I was loading the dishwasher. Did you guys by any chance see the carving knife? I wanted to put it in with the other dishes, but I couldn't find it."

"No. Jason used it when he cut the roast, but Kim cleaned up the table, bringing everything in the kitchen," Adam answered, dread creeping into his bones as he spoke.

Jason's face grew dark at the mention of Kim and the knife.

"How long has she been in the bathroom?" he asked, already up and moving towards the door, his friends hot on his heels.

"Half an hour," Adam responded, panic evident in his voice.

"Kim, open this door!" Jason boomed, when he realized that the door was locked.

"Kimberly!" Trini shouted, while Jason banged against it. "Oh God, she's not responding."

"Stand back," Jason warned, a second before his foot collided with the door. Two kicks later, the door gave in and steam rushed out. When it cleared enough so they could look inside, they saw Kimberly sagged against the cabinet under the sink, blood pooling around her.

"Oh my God!" Jason exclaimed, hurrying to her side.

Adam joined him, almost pushing Trini aside. "Trini, call an ambulance," he yelled; but the woman was crying, her hands covering her mouth.

"Trini, _now_!" Adam ordered. As Trini complied, he quickly stripped down to his undershirt and began tearing off strips of fabric. "Press this against her wrist," he instructed Jason. With one hand holding the cloth against the left wrist, he checked for a pulse.

"It's weak, but she's alive," he said, his voice grave.

"What the hell prompted this?" Jason asked angrily. She was so fragile and pale and he was beyond pissed with her. His best friend was laying on the floor in a pool of her own blood and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. He never felt so helpless in his entire life and mad at himself for not seeing the signs of her not being ok earlier. If she would die he would never be able to forgive himself for not being there for her earlier, for not stopping her.

"An ambulance will be here in two minutes," Trini said, sliding down on the floor next to them. "How is she?"

"Alive. Barely," Adam muttered grimly.

A loud knock snapped them out of their thoughts and Trini quickly made her way towards the door.

The paramedics began working feverishly on Kim while the three friends watched from the hall. She was placed on a stretcher and wheeled out of the bathroom.

"Which one of you will ride with her to the hospital?" the paramedic inquired.

"I will," Jason said, walking next to stretcher. His hands were covered in Kimberly's blood, his right cheek also smudged with the ruby liquid.

"We'll meet you at the hospital. Call us when you get there, Jason," Trini added, walking the paramedics and the former Red Ranger towards the entrance of the apartment.

When everyone had left, Trini closed the door and walked towards the living room. Adam was sitting on the couch, his bloody hands covering his face.

Adam Park, devoid of the adrenaline rush that had allowed him to save his friend's life, was crying uncontrollably.

_End Flashback_

"After that, Jason forced me to seek professional treatment. That was the last time I cut myself. It's been almost four years since then," Kimberly said quietly, studying her former lover's face.

Shell-shocked by this last piece of information, Tommy stared blankly back at her. _"She tried to kill herself. Oh God, she could have died. I could have lost her. What the hell was she thinking? Why didn't Jason say anything? Why did they wait so long to get her into therapy? She could have died. I could have lost her. I could have lost Kim! I could have lost my Beautiful! She could have died!"_ he thought, his mind racing, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest.

"Tommy…" Kim said, studying his handsome features. A million emotions flickered across his face: shock, fear, anger… She could recognize each and every one of them.

"You tried to kill yourself? Are you fucking mad?" he yelled, jumping out of his chair and beginning to pace.

"I know," she said simply, watching him move. "You know, if you continue pacing like that you're going to make a hole in the carpet," she joked weakly, trying to lighten the mood.

"That's not funny, Kim. What the hell were you thinking?" He turned to her, his features dark.

"Tommy, when I saw you in the airport with a woman and a child, I saw what I always wanted: a family, with you. That's when I started wanting death, because there was nothing for me anymore," she yelled back, even though she understood his anger.

"You should have asked Jason about that woman, Kim, before you decided to slice your wrists. He could have told you that Barbara was indeed my girlfriend, but that I wasn't married, or engaged, NOR HAD A CHILD!" he yelled, even more enraged. His face was filled with both anger and fear.

Breathing heavily he tried to rein his temper, stop himself from taking the anger he felt towards himself and the helplessness out on her. "God damn it, Kimberly, how could you think that death would be the answer? What would have happened to the rest of the gang—to Jason, Trini or Adam—if your attempt had been successful? Kim, you would have crushed your family, your friends, all the people that love you," he said his voice softer, stepping closer to her. Lifting both of his large hands, he gently cupped her flushed cheeks. By now she was shedding bitter tears, and the sight of it broke his heart into a million pieces. He was mad at her for trying to kill herself, but deep down inside he was terrified that he could have lost her forever, that he wasn't there to take away the pain. Truth being told he was mad at himself for not being able to help her in her time of need. Back then, he had been so consumed by his own pain, that he had not taken the time to ask Jason of how she had been, even though he knew his best friend had been in contact with the woman he called his Beautiful. The former leader of the Power Rangers had tried to rip his pink princess out of his heart forever, and had blocked the uneasy feeling broadcasted through their link. "I'm sorry for yelling at you Kim. I'm sorry for not being able to be there for you." He whispered, the guilt eating at him.

"They would have all been better off without me. I made their lives a living hell," she murmured, trying to pull away from him.

"That's not true. You know that," he said, forcing her to look at him. "Kimberly, if you would have been successful, you would have killed me too. If you had died, I would have followed you shortly," he said softly, his sad eyes boring into hers.

"You wouldn't have dared, Thomas Oliver," she said menacingly, grabbing his wrists.

He simply nodded, causing her fury to rise in her chest. Angrily she pushed him away, breaking the contact. While he stumbled a few steps behind, she furiously rubbed her eyes, wiping away her tears. When she finally turned back towards him and saw that he hadn't moved from his spot, she yelled, "How dare you tell me you would have followed? I am not worth fucking dying over! Not after everything I did."

"But it's the truth. I would have and you are," he said, meaning every word. It had taken him ten years to admit to himself that he still loved her with all his soul, and a split second to realize that no woman could ever match her. It was either her or no one.

The prospect of him committing suicide scared Kimberly to no end. A world without Tommy, to her, was a world not worth living in. Climbing down from the table she had been sitting on, she narrowed the gap between the, her puffy eyes blazing. Before she could regain her temper her slender palm collided with his cheek with more force than she had intended.

Tommy didn't react to her slap; he just stared at her wide eyes. She quickly covered her mouth and retreated to a darker corner.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, leaning against the fireplace and covering her face with her hands. She trembled as small tears broke through her fingers.

A warm, strong arm circled her waist while the other went around her shoulders, pulling her to his body and holding her tight while sobs wrecked her frame. Kimberly clung to his arms with no intention of letting him go.

Resting his chin on the top of her head, Tommy broke the silence. "I never stopped..." He trailed off, not daring to let the word 'love' roll down his lips. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke softly and he had to strain to hear her words.

"I know. You told me once that you'd always be my friend," she replied, her voice broken.

He frowned at her response, disappointed that she didn't understand what he meant, but opted against correcting her for the time being. "I heard you last night," he said, pulling her closer. Sensing rather than seeing her confusion, he explained, "At the temple. I heard the cry of the crane. When did you reconnect with your animal spirit?"

Pulling away from his embrace, the former Pink Ranger gazed into his eyes. His statement had surprised her.

"A few years ago, after I came back from Cambodia," she explained.

"Cambodia?"

Leaning against the fireplace, with Tommy's warm hand still holding her cold one, she related her encounter with Reit the monk.

"I still don't understand—how did your animal spirit survive after the destruction of the coins?" he asked, puzzled, trying to wrap his head around this information.

"I told you, the coins are a medium for the power; the animal spirit never leaves after it has chosen its master."

"But you gave your coin to Kat, effectively giving it a new owner."

Chuckling, Kim leaned forward and said, "The crane was only on loan. It was always meant for me. That's why Kat always had little accidents, like getting catapulted out of her Zord or not being able to control the White Shogunzord. The crane never accepted Katherine as her owner and opposed her in any way possible."

"How do you know that?" Tommy laughed, surprised.

"Adam told me, one night over dinner, after I came back from Cambodia," she explained.

"Is he able to communicate to his animal spirit as well, or are you the only one?" Tommy pressed.

She nodded. "Upon the destruction of the coins, the animal spirits were rendered dormant, with only Adam's remaining alert. When you guys took on the Zeo power, the crane returned to me, but I wasn't aware of it until Reit told me about it," she explained, brushing her hair away from her face. "When our animal spirits are connected—'awake,' you might call it—we are able to sense each other, as in pinpoint locations or distinguish feelings. It's like a direct line to each other, although with some of us the link is stronger than with the others. In my case, I can feel you and Adam more, but you I learned to block you over the years," Kim supplied, her eyes not meeting his. "I can feel something happening, since Aisha's and Rocky's animal spirits have been wreaking havoc across the line for a few months now. They are slowly waking, sensing the others. Billy's wolf is practically comatose, but I know he'll join us soon." She grinned. "Your falcon is the stubborn one, refusing to connect with the rest, although we feel you."

"Block me? And why Adam and not Aisha?" Tommy inquired, frowning. It hurt him that she had decided to go as far as removing the link between them.

"I could feel when your emotions were strong, which in turn caused me too much pain. Adam, distressed by the prospect of my relapsing, offered to teach me how to jam the connection," Kim said walking towards the window. As the conversation progressed, her ability to ignore their connection was subsiding—right now, she could feel his sadness. "I can feel you, because once upon a time the falcon was the crane's mate, you were my mate. Adam is my spirit brother; our connection is stronger than with the others. Right now, for instance, he's very, very anxious and is trying to refrain from walking into the house and check on us." She giggled, peeking through the curtains at the merry crowd spread over the lawn.

Kim could see Adam casting worried glances at the first floor window as Jason spoke to him. Trini was sitting on her fiancé's lap, holding the former Ninjetti's hand.

"Interesting, aren't frogs part of a crane's diet?" he chuckled, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She sighed, melting into his embrace. "Nah, this one does things differently."

"As far as I know, cranes mate for life," Tommy added quietly, his lips close to her ear. He could feel the shiver running down her spine and the goosebumps beneath his fingers. A wave of pride washed over him, knowing that he could still cause such reactions from his former lover.

Kim couldn't believe how right it felt for him to be holding her like this. Not even in her wildest dreams had she imagined that he would ever be willing to take her in his arms again. Shifting closer to him, she remarked, "Well, apparently my bird doesn't believe in monogamy."

Tommy laughed softly, his thumb tracing small circles on her left hip. Leaning closer he replied, "Maybe yours doesn't, but mine does. What I meant earlier was that I never stopped loving you, Beautiful."

Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart thumped wildly against her ribcage. She had to fight the urge to pinching herself to make sure that he wasn't a dream.

The seconds stretched and Tommy felt dread creeping into his heart when she didn't reply. When he was about to pull away, certain that confessing his feelings had been a mistake, her hands caught his and she pulled him closer. "Neither did I."


	5. Undisclosed Secrets

**Dear all,**

**thank you so much for the lovely reviews! You are amazing and I am so glad that this story is to your liking. Now, this chapter is a lot shorter than the others but that is because it was initially part of chapter 4. My lovely Beta, Anolinde, has hinted that the chapter was too long so I decided to take her advice and split the two up. This one should tie up some loose strings. I really hope you like it. **

**Again a special and warm thank you to Anolinde for reading and correcting the chapter. You are wonderful :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, Saban does, I'm just borrowing them :)**

**Happy reading and feedback is always appreciated :)**

**xoxo LT**

* * *

><p><strong>Undisclosed Secrets<strong>

Walking towards the balcony of their joint suits on the sixth floor, two bottles of beer in hand, Tommy smiled when he saw Jason's calm features.

"Thought you might want a cold one," the former leader of the Power Rangers said, handing his friend the beverage.

Jason smiled, accepting the bottle and taking a swig before leaning against the railing. Tommy did the same, his eyes taking in the property.

"I gathered you and Kim talked. Did she tell you everything?" Jason asked, breaking the silence.

Tommy nodded.

"I'm glad. It was about damn time," Jason said softly, sighing in relief.

"Thank you, Jason," Tommy replied, finishing his beer.

"For what, bro?" the former Red Ranger asked, turning to see his friend.

"For everything. For saving her life, for being there for her when she needed a friend."

"No need to thank me. She's my little sister, after all. My only regret is that I wasn't there sooner, that I couldn't save her," Jason answered, guilt evident in his handsome face.

"What do you mean? You were there when..." He trailed off, swallowing the pain he felt every time he thought about Kimberly's suicidal attempt. "When she tried to kill herself. You and Adam saved her."

Putting the beer down on the marble railing, Jason rubbed his face. He wasn't looking at Tommy when he finally spoke. "No, I was too late. Kim flat-lined in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. They very nearly didn't manage to get her back."

A loud crash startled Jason from his gloomy reverie, causing him to turn and look at Tommy. The former White Ranger's half full beer bottle was not laying in pieces on the floor the blond content wetting the floor in between shards. The color had drained out of his face, and he swayed on his feet like a drunken man.

"She died?" Tommy asked, struggling to speak. Jason could only nod. "She didn't mention it during out talk. Does she know?"

"No. Only Trini, Adam and I know. We didn't dare tell her, not after she almost bit my head off for saving her."

"I don't understand," Tommy said, his voice weak as he eased himself into a rattan chair.

"After they brought her back, I stayed overnight with her. When she woke the next day, she started crying and yelling that she hated me for saving her and than she refused to speak to us. Her only interaction with the world was yelling at the doctors when they advise counseling," Jason explained, taking the chair across Tommy's.

"Then how did you get her into therapy?"

"Trini and I asked for sick leave, and we stayed at the hospital trying to get through to her, but it was in vain. A week after her attempt, Adam came by and threatened to use all the connections he had to get into a mental institution, without her approval, if she didn't accept therapy. She remained unresponsive and we thought we really needed to institutionalize her, but when I went back to the hospital in the evening she broke down." Jason explain, his face tiered and pained. Every time he remembered those couple of days after Kim's attempt he couldn't stop the guilt from cursing through his veins. All of his life he had tried to protect Kim from harm, be there for his little sister and take away her pain, either by giving her a shoulder to cry on, or beat up the person responsible for her pain. This time, he had failed her, since she refused to open up to him and he had not known how to get through to her. She had erected a wall around her emotions and she was determined to keep everyone away from seeing how she really felt, especially him. His Kim had become a stranger to him and every time he remembered those couple of days he felt cold and frightened. The only person that knew how he had felt, had been while Kim was in the hospital was Trini. To make matters worst, his future wife had not been able to comfort him, since she had been in the same situation as him.

_Flashback_

Jason walked into the room, holding a bouquet of pink tulips, his face grim after his conversation with the doctors. Apparently they had tried, once again, to convince her to see a psychiatrist; but she had ignored them, staring straight ahead at the white wall.

He slid the door open and saw her, lying on her back, tears streaming down her face. His chest constricted; he hated seeing his little sister in so much pain and it angered him to feel so useless. Approaching her bed, he placed a loving kiss on her forehead and then slipped the tulips into a vase on her nightstand. He could see her from the corner of his eye, watching him. Only when she spoke did his hands stop moving.

"He's married and has a little boy."

Turning to her, he took in her bandaged wrists and her red-rimmed eyes.

"Who?" he asked, stepping closer to her.

"Tommy. I saw him at the airport in Detroit with his family," she sobbed, her hands coming up to cover her eyes. "Why didn't you just let me die, Jason?" she demanded, crying harder.

His heart ached for her and he couldn't stand to see her like that. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he gently removed her hands from her face. "Kimmy, he's not married," Jason said, stroking her cheek.

"I saw them together," she replied tiredly, her eyes still closed.

"Kimberly, look at me," Jason commanded. Kim's eyes opened. "He. Is. Not. Married!" the former leader insisted.

She let out a shaky laugh and the tears started anew. "Why can't I stop loving him?"

"Scoot," he instructed after a few seconds. She did as she was asked and moved towards the edge, allowing him to rest beside her.

Jason gathered her in his arms and held her while she cried her heart out.

_End Flashback_

"She cried herself to sleep that night, but agreed to therapy the next day." Jason explained, his gazed focused on his hands.

"She said she stopped harming herself afterwards. Is that true?" Tommy asked, standing up from his chair and going inside to retrieve two more beers.

When he came back, Jason took the beer from his outstretched hand and continued. "Yes, she stopped, but it was hell for all of us for about two years. Therapy opened a lot of old wounds and she was a mess after each and every session."

"How did you keep tabs on her? I mean, you couldn't watch her twenty-four/seven." Tommy frowned.

"While she was at work we didn't need to worry about her. Kim takes her job very seriously and it keeps her alert at all times, not giving her a moment's rest. When we were at home, and we sensed she was on the edge, Trini and I took turns and we would spar with her, exhausting her until I literally had to pick her up and put her in bed." He chuckled at the memory. "It was hard for Adam, who was doing double or triple shifts at the hospital, and both Trini and I needed to work late. When Kim had one of her child-related events, Adam had to step up and keep her busy."

"Child-related events? I though Kim only did weddings."

"She does, but she also handles conferences and exhibitions. When she started with the company, one of her superiors used to give her smaller bookings, such as birthday parties and so on. Kim used to be on the edge for about a week prior to the event and on the day of the event itself. When none of us could be there for her, Tanya came over and the two of them sparred until one us got home. Pinky is skilled and Tanya, although a great fighter, couldn't and still can't keep up with her, so by the time we got home Tanya was completely exhausted and Kim slightly out of breath," Jason explained, nursing his beer. "The only time when all three of us went out of our minds with worry was when Kim traveled. We had no control over her and in those two years she was on the road often."

"How on Earth did you let her go to Cambodia then?" the paleontologist asked.

"Adam's idea. When Kim told us that she wanted to go on vacation for a month, Trini and I were against it. Our local frog boy, on the other hand, sided with her and eventually we gave in. While she was gone and I was antsy beyond words, Adam explained the whole Ninjetti link thing and assured me that she'd come back a changed woman. He was right, of course and from that point on, life was easier on everybody." Jason laughed, looking at his friend's smiling face. "Bro, she was full of energy and happy again. When things got a bit rough, Trini and I still sparred with her, and Adam meditated with her."

Rubbing his tired eyes, Tommy asked, "Why didn't you tell the others about this? Why didn't you talk to me, since it seems I'm the root of most of her distress? Maybe I could have fixed this somehow."

Taking another sip from his beer, Jason turned to gaze at his friend.

"She swore us to secrecy because she didn't want to worry the others," Jason explained. "And you were out of the question; your name never got mentioned at home. I won't deny it, it was rough, but it wasn't all bad. We became tighter, a family, since we shared everything together." He smiled fondly as he recalled all the times they had spent together.

"The three of you were always close. I can imagine that those events brought you even closer."

Jason nodded and went on. "It did, but at the same time, our family grew a bit more when Adam and Tanya pitched in. We tried to look out for Kim; but, truth be told, she took care of us most of the time."

Seeing Tommy's curious expression, Jason elaborated with a grin. "She mothered all of us, helping me with homework assignments, making sure that Adam slept enough, kicking Trini's ex stalker boyfriend's ass…"

"Kim beat somebody up?" Tommy asked, surprised.

"Oh, yeah! Trini told Kim about him, afraid that if she told me I would kill the guy. She thought Kim might come up with a solution for her problem, but she never imagined that Pinky would go to the guy's apartment and beat him up, effectively taking care of the issue."

Shaking his head, still laughing, Tommy asked, "What about Tanya? How did she get along with Kim?"

"At first she was reluctant to help Kim, because she still held grudge against her for the letter. When Kim cut her wrists, though, Adam turned to her and Tanya put her differences aside. She warmed up to Kim eventually, trusting her and, in the end, leaning on Kim when it got rough." Jason explained, his face sad.

"What happened?" Tommy asked softly.

With a sigh, Jason toyed for a moment with his bottle and said, "After Kim came back from Cambodia, Tanya's two older siblings came to visit. They got into a car accident and her brother passed away a few days later. Trini, Adam and I were out of the country at that time, and Kim put her life on hold just to be there for Tanya. The two grew even closer after the incident," Jason joked, trying to shake off the tightness gripping his chest.

"I had no idea about Tanya," Tommy whispered, sadness visible in his handsome features. "You know, I told Kim today that I thought you guys were dating when you got trapped during the Divatox incident," he said sheepishly. "She nearly bit my head off," he went on, chuckling.

"With good reason. Bro, Kim's an attractive woman, but she's my little sister. There was never any kind of attraction between us," Jason explained, a bit irritated.

"I know, but in a way I was and still am envious of the connection you two have. On and off the field, you two were inseparable. Furthermore, she also has a connection with Adam—her animal spirit brother," Tommy explained, his voice all of a sudden empty and sad.

"Until you came along." Jason laughed. "You two always had a special connection, something that was stronger than anything I've ever seen. I've always been there for Kim, just like she's always been there for me; she's my family and always will be," he explained, his tone and expression somber.

"She said the same thing, although I have to ask… Bro, how's Trini digesting all of this?" Tommy inquired, with the same seriousness as his friend.

"Trini and Kim are sisters, closer and tighter than most best friends are. She knows that when she's marrying me, she's also marrying Kim and she's cool with it. Don't get me wrong—Trini is my soul mate, my friend, my life, my everything—but she's aware of my bond to Kim. Kimberly has been there for me, offering me a shoulder to cry on when Emily cheated on me and effectively broke my heart. She has seen me at my lowest and never judged me when I drank myself into a stupor, or acted like a complete jerk to everybody around me when I gave up my morpher the first time. Kim and I have been friends since we were toddlers and I saw her through her parents' divorce and all the shit her dad put her through after that when he stopped calling and visiting her," Jason spoke, his eyes boring into Tommy's. "Trini is aware of all of this, just like how she knows that any guy who marries Kim will have to marry both Adam and myself—and there isn't a damn thing he can do about it. We're family and we look out for one another, no matter what," Jason went on causing Tommy to chuckle.

"That's going to be one crowded marriage," he remarked, earning a smile from Jason.

"I feel sorry for the poor schmuck. Having ex-Rangers grilling the shit out of him before he even considers dating Kim—not to mention he'll have a small army of pissed off Ninjettis at his door the moment he hurts her, our local frog-boy ready and willing to tear him apart limb by limb." Jason smirked, the image amusing him to no end.

"Not if I get to him first," Tommy said darkly, his jaw tense and his features vicious.

"Of course, this can be avoided if she ends up marrying within the family," Jason hinted. Tommy looked away, his emotions in overdrive. His heart longed to be with his Beautiful once more; he needed to back away from this discussion and uncharted territory so he could think everything through and grapple with the implications of the earlier revelations.

"By the way, you were right," he said, turning his gaze towards Jason.

"I know, but for argument's sake, what exactly was I right about?" Jason asked, grinning.

"About caring and loving her. Took me a while to admit it to myself, but yes, I do love her, I never stopped."

"Ha! You can run but you can't hide. Sooner or later you had to admit it to yourself. I'm just glad you came to your senses." Jason laughed, his face shining with joy.

Standing up, Tommy gathered together his empty beer bottles. Jason followed suit. "It's late, bro, and you need to get some sleep; tomorrow's a big day," the former leader of the Power Rangers said, smiling fondly at his friend.

Stifling a yawn, Jason nodded and clasped a hand on Tommy's left shoulder.

"Get some sleep, Tommy, my man, and you'll see: tomorrow will bring a fresh start for all of us," the once red and golden Ranger said, removing his hand from his friend's shoulder. He walked towards his room, leaving an overwhelmed Tommy behind.


End file.
